Timeflip 12

a/n Dr. Cole is also one of NightStalker13's AU's... so does Megatron's UTE.


{time passes since Chapter 11} Kaon General Hospital:

"My mate had been brought in. Officer Barricade, I believe he's been shot."

"Ahhh…," a busy nurse tries to think.

"I'll take her. I'm headed out anyways."

Timeflip looks to the turning red and white checkered helio-bot behind the busy nurse who smiles gratefully up to him, "Thanks Dr. Cole. I'll find those notes ASAP."

With that, he nods and lays a hand out to the right hallway. The other mech beside her questions what he should do. Cole, puts a hand up, "It's a bit crowed and crazy back there. It might be best if you wait here or at your vehicle."

Cavalier thumbs outside, "I'll be at the car letting others have these seats. You call me and I'll walk you out."

"Okay, thanks Cavalier," Timeflip gives her coworker's wrist a squeeze.

"Give him my best," he give a wary smile then heads out.

Cole takes her elbow and guides her back. There was no question where Barricade is stationed. "I'm gonna be an Airborne Ranger, gonna live a life of danger…."

Timeflip shoots a look up to the trim red doctor who shakes his head lightly, "Oh he's one of those."

"Twinkle twinkle little star!…." The voice tries to throw the next line into the slaughtered song. Clearly the mech is inebriated on the inhibitors.

Timeflip's spark nestles a bit more comfortably in her chest knowing her mate is alive, but she is still worried as to WHY he's on inhibitors. Cole gives her a warm smile, "Bots all have slightly different reactions to the pain medication. Apparently…." he shrugs leaving the that sentence unneeded to be finished..

She tries not to let the nervousness come out and thus thrusts back humor, "Apparently his job is to torture the rest of the injured in the ER?"

Cole brings her around the corner and smiles, "Oh I don't know. At least he can carry a tune."

"How much is that doggie in the window…bark bark!"

"Yeah but which one?" Timeflip sees the nurses at the station about ready to stuff a gag in her mate's mouth. Cole laughs a little be harder and pulls the fabric curtain from bay three.

"BABE!" the dark blue helm and silver face raises up from the berth!

Timeflip picks up her steps and clutches his hands that are folded under his front down helm. She presses a kiss to him which silences his songs and anything else he was going to say.

"Oh thank PRIMUS and anyone else with an audio!" The terracotta mech in the next bay praises. "Is that you Timeflip?" Cole pulls the drape a bit so Barricade's partner can see her. Timeflip pulls from the kiss and smiles up at the pale colored mech, "Name's Coyote, Ma'am. Wish we were meeting under better terms." He's trying to be a gentle-bot even though his face is grimacing.

"You too," she gives an optic glistening smile back. Timeflip can't move from her crouched position because Barricade won't let go of her hands. Seeing this, Cole quickly shoves the medic's rolling stool under her making her position much more comfortable. The fellow cop flops his helm back and closes his optics. Clearly he got the worst injury of the two. His chest plate is off, but there's two rounds that went through his pectoral area.

Timeflip grimaces and then looks over her own mech. A bit hard with his broad shoulders in the way, but she would recognize that well toned and nicely broad aft anywhere. Although, the large bandage is new.

"Darling, what happened?"

"Stupid, it was so stupid!" Coyote mumbles.

"Hey hey, she asked me not you. This is MY story, I get to tell it," the slurred retort comes out.

"Be my guest, because we wouldn't be there if it wasn't be cause of YOU!"

Sober for a second Barricade shoots back over his shoulder, "And then things would have been ten times worse!"

Coyote has to swallow that truth down, "Yeah… you're right. Good point. Go on."

Barricade turns back to his mate optics a dropping from black with anger to softness for her then flushes, "I wanted to stop by Sparklings 'R Us real quick…" Timeflip beams seeing him so shy for a moment, "She was cute. I'm saying she was so cute I couldn't resist."

Cole covers his face misunderstanding his statement, "Mrs. Barricade, I'm not sure you want to hear-"

"You should have seen her. So beautiful. Those bright blue optics and that smile that could light up the sky-"

"Barricade…" Timeflip softly tries to get him back on course.

"Barricade," Cole warns the mech about what he's going to reveal to his mate.

The mechly voice slips to a cuddly one, "And she dropped the cutest… oh Babe can we have one too? You should have seen how soft his widdle ears and that fluffy tail … I really want one of those little snuggly turbo-fox kits. The glass optics look so real!"

"Barricade, you're drifting. What happened in the toys store?" Timeflip get a bit more forceful.

"Idiot!" Coyote groans again.

"Shh! My story, I get to tell it my way! Stop blowing my fun," his drunken state comes out again.

"Fun? You call this fun? You have a round in your aft and I have two in my shoulder? You call that fun over a stupid toy train?"

Timeflip's face daws. Barricade flushes again. "I went to look at the toy trains. I know how much you like them and I thought it would be fun for the nursery…"

Cole pats her shoulder looking over the chart, "He's stable and in good hands, but he will probably pass out soon."

"Thank Primus!" A voice from the other curtain groans. Coyote, Cole and Timeflip can't help but smile when Barricade sticks his tongue out at the other curtained victim.

Timeflip pats her mate, "Darling, you went to a toy store and stoop to pick up-"

"Stupid me DIDN'T stoop. I should have, but I was so dumb that I bent over and the bastard fired. I got a round right in the joint of my aft and leg plate seam and shit now it hurts like hell!"

"It doesn't hurt you wuz." The other snarls back.

"Well it sure hurt as hell when it went in!" He turns his wobbly helm back to Timeflip, "Babe, I got shot in my aft by some idiot trying to rob the store. Really, who robs toys stores? What'a ya gonna do with a bag of marbles? Now I have a scar on my perfect… and my butt hurts. Can you kiss it an make it all better?" Here comes the next round making him all woozie and weird. Settling his head back down on their joined hands a tear escapes, "Babe I was so scared. That little sparkling with the curlicue antenna with the pink pompoms who dropped her cute widdle turbo-kit… her optics were so big and scared. There she was looking at me reaching from her stroller for her kit and the next thing she knew … stroller, mom, and all were under me with all those loud noises. All I could think was, what if it was our sparkling? Babe?" He's pleading with her for comfort and reassurance.

Timeflip has nothing to say. For when she had gotten the call, she was all worried about her mate's life. She didn't think for a second about what he was doing to get himself shot. And now, here he is all wonky and weird and scared. Not for his life but a sparkling as if it was his own. He put himself between a selfish fool and an innocent future.

Timeflip looks up to Coyote who is staring back at them in a new light. He had only been doing his job, take down the bad guy and protect the citizens. Now he sees that Barricade's move to cover the stroller and mother had been a bit more personal.

"When I heard the first couple shots and saw Barricade go down, I turned aimed and made sure no one else was in my sightline. While clearing my sightline, he got two off in our direction." He glances down to his chest. Timeflip realizes that Coyote had stepped in to protect not just others, but Barricade as well. Seeing the fear and reality welling up in her optics, Coyote turns back to his grumpy side. "Yeah well I'm taking the hero's credit for saving your bsorry aft /b!"

It takes a moment for Timeflip to accept the jab. The wink from the turquoise optic lets her know he would do it again for her mate. She mouths her thank you to him and then nuzzles into her loopy mate.

Coyote sighs happily, "Ahhh, three weeks of desk duty WITHOUT Barricade! Sounds like a vacation to me."

Barricade whips his helm around, "What's THAT supposed to mean?"

Cole comes over and checks the bandage on said aft, "Well, it seems Officer Barricade, paid administrative leave until the review board clears you and with you not being able to sit down at a desk…"

Barricade buries his face into his arms in humiliation, "I'm going to find that bastard and beat the shit out of him for humiliating me in such fashion! Damn I can't even write a parking ticket or file a missing person's report… the funking punk aft-" The room is dead silent. So he lifts his helm, "What?"

"He died on arrival," Cole informs the officers.

"Good," comes a voice from the other side of the curtain. Coyote, Barricade, Timeflip and Cole all share a similar expression. Shock and maybe a bit of relief from an uninvolved party. Tension changes as a randy thought runs through the navy processor.

Barricade's optics go bright and waggles his brow, "So, if I'm going to be house bound, wanna try for twins? Bet you I could make you overload so hard it will make that little spark split into identical twins."

Coyote groans again, "I did not want to hear that!"

Barricade looks up to Cole ever so hopeful, "So doc, what do you think our chances are? Can we do it?" Timeflip is flaming red at this point but Barricade won't let go of her hands and thus she resigned to burying her burning face into his shoulder.

The checkered mech ponders the information and the embarrassing situation and the inebriated mech's ramblings. Three thoughts go through his head until he settles on the fourth, "I'm not an OB. You'll have to talk to your doctor about that. I can tell you this though, strenuous activity on that seam and you'll be out of work a lot longer than you want or she wants."

"Oh it's never that strenuous when I make my muffgulph-" A copper and silver hand firmly plants itself over the loose lips.

Cole helps Timeflip out more by clearing his throat, "Ah, visiting hours are up. Time to go. I'll have the nurses give you and ETA of when he can go home.

Still keeping the hand tight she sighs, "I would appreciate that, Doctor."

Finally the blue mech's mouth is released when his optics sink to the news of her leaving. "Doh Babe, don't go. Then I'll be all lonely and I dunna like sleeping alone any more now that I got you. It makes my spark beat all funky."

Coyote groans, "Alright you big fat sparkling, I'll read you a bedtime story, happy? It will even be one about turbo-foxes on a train, kay?"

Barricade face falls all sparkling-like, clearly he's going down, "You'd do that for me Coyote?"

"Anything to make you shut'd up!"

Dr. Cole tugs her arm again, "I'll walk you out. Say good-bye Barricade."

Timeflip gives her sleepy mate a last kiss and then pulls from his loosening grip. Standing up, she goes to Coyote and gives him a kiss to the forehead seeing how she can't hug him. He sighs and whispers, "Don't worry. He's a good mech."

"And you?" She teases.

He winks, "I never said I was a good mech, but like hell am I going to let him out live me! If he's going down it's by my hand!" Timeflip has to giggle to that. Barricade's in good hands with this mech. "Oh look at the sparkling now." She turns and there's Barricade, slack jawed and sound asleep. He bumps her arm, "Now you get home and get ready for that big galute being at home for a couple of weeks."

"Can I bring you anything?"

Coyote smiles, "Nah, my sister's on her way. Oh boy what a mother hen she is. Maybe I'll feign passing out like blue-butt there and see how that works for me. Go, I'll be fine." She give him a last squeeze and then lets Cole lead her out of the room.

In the hall way, Cole stops her. "It's not just a round in the aft. It's a round in the JOINT. It's wedged in there pretty good. When he fell, jammed it in there tight. Coyote actually is lucky with his. Right in the muscle and not moving. Barricade, it going to be tricky to get it out and not scar up the smooth piece of the ball and socket piece of the joint. It's going to be late into the night or tomorrow afternoon before he can come home. He will need to lay face down in getting him home so you might want to see about transportation. A little two door coupe isn't going to work." Timeflip nods to the information and now scrambling for what to do.

Cole lays a hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright? I don't want the stress doing something to your budding sparkling."

Timeflip smiles, "He was a soldier, I know he's tough."

"This is peace time. In war, we expect stuff like this. In peace time most certainly a toy store of all places, that's a different story all together. And," he makes her look right at him, "I was asking about you, not him."

Appreciating the concern for herself, she eases the medic, "Barricade and I have been through far worse. I think what bothered me the most was seeing how…scared he was." She bites her lip, "He's going to be a great dad."

Cole smiles, "Yeah, he is. I'm quite proud of you. You didn't go all blubbery in there and you didn't go blaming anyone. Very focused, you are."

She shrugs, "When I get home I'll go to pieces but no need for him to worry about me any more than he already does. Besides, he not exactly firing on all cylinders right now." She give an amused huff to the all too personal information that came out.

Chuckling Cole pats again, "Just the ones that actually matter." He rolls his hand, "Come on I'll walk you out."

It's a short trip out to the parking lot where she finds Cavalier's rose wood frame leaning on his coupe on the phone. Seeing a doctor walking his coworker out he quickly ends his call and strides up, "Aw man, I would have come and-"

Cole waves away the rest of that. "Call late in the afternoon. We will have more information for you then. Please, go home and rest. I know you want to be here, but you need to give that sparkling all the rest you can so you'll be strong enough to deal with him later. And you can take that as a doctor's order," he lightly teases.

"Thanks, Dr. Cole."

"No problem. Bye."

Cavalier stares at Timeflip just not exactly what to say. "Um… what now?"

Timeflip sighs, "He's going to be fine but headed into surgery. I need to get back to the office and make plans to take a day or two off."

"Can't I just take you home now?"

Shaking her head she reaches for the door handle, "No, I need distraction right now. My apartment will be too quiet and that's not a good thing for me. Besides, I'll feel guilty as all get out if you guys aren't ready for that meeting later this week. As long as I can get as much done as possible, I'll be fine."

He cups her elbow and reminds her, "We did fine with at Poly twerp we can survive without you for a couple days."

She sighs, "And you will, just not right now. Please?"

Seeing how he won't win this fight, he does as she asks and takes her back to the office. Swiftly Dove and Sangria are down stairs trying to make plans for two days and the big meeting coming up. In comes the Glitter Brigade from their lunch break. There's one who is a bit quieter in the group of four. On and on they are complaining about… "-Traffic at the shopping center was horrid. Probably about some stupid shoplifter that has call out the SWAT Team! How ridiculous! I mean get a clue. The cops are just too hyper reactive."

Timeflip's fist clench tightly. Dovetail and Sangria are the ones to ask. When the news comes out that they were at the same shopping center as Sparklings 'R Us not long after an ambulance came tearing out of the parking lot nearly hitting them. (or so the painted optic brows huffed). Dove puts an arm around Timeflip.

The CEO's secretary actually has the audacity to shove her nose in the air and snoot, "What's your problem, Plain Jane!" She just hates the fact that Timeflip came in so easily and replaced her favorite easily manipulative friend and the fact Timeflip won't play the drama games or give up the good gossip from her department. She really wanted to know what happened between the designer and his mate at the off world sight. And the fact that Chamfer won't date… let's just say, this glitter queen is pissed at the construction and design department being too mature and getting a LOT of work done. She takes every opportunity to shove her authority around when she can.

Not this time. Again.

Once more the polished queen with the emerald cut diamond in her forehelm like a crown jewel shoves into Timeflip's controlled but angry face. "Like I said: What's your problem, Cop's Bitch." She so thinks she is untouchable!

The quiet femme in the group gasps openly and steps back from them. Sangria hisses but Dovetail is the one to let it out, "Her mate was IN that AMBULANCE! For covering a sparkling in a gunfight! You you-!"

For that even the other two femmes drop their optics to the floor shamefully. It doesn't stop diamond-bitch. She shrugs, "Well, humph. He chose the occupation. If he can't handle the situation, he should have thought about that before he put on the badge-"

In a flash, Timeflip's light starts to blink. Lashing out, she slaps a hand to the queen's arm. In a moment they are both gone. Everyone is just left gaping staring at the blank spot where they once were.

In a couple moments, Timeflip is back smiling, and then, her optics roll back and she faints to the floor. Sangria punches the com. "Medic to the lobby NOW!"

Timeflip comes round. A cool cloth on her forehelm. A bit woozy she finds herself in a familiar office under a soft blanket and someone holding her hand. She also hears clinking away on the desk near by. "Hey, she's coming round."

It's the quiet femme from earlier with a very soft concerned look on her face, "Mr. Shockwave?"

A larger dark shadow slowly crouches down by her helm, "How do you feel?"

"Stupid?" She groans and closes her optics.

"Hm," he responds as if that is the only appropriate answer. "Sorry, but your cat is out of the bag, so to say. Where did you drop off Diamond?"

"Back at the toy store next to the grateful mother. I think I'm going to be sick!" She rolls her helm and Button shoves a can under her rolling helm. With no lunch, there wasn't much to come up. "Oh hell."

Timeflip is not surprised of all offices she is in it's Shockwave's. As the Senior Draftsmech he has the largest office and the only one with a couch. What she is surprised is that's she's here and not in a jail.

Button brushes her brow, "Better?"

"A little." She lays back and looks up to Shockwave.

He gives her an understood sympathetic look but then a soft order, "Home, bed."

"I can't I have to figure out how I'm going to get Barricade home. None of the people I know have a four door with a bench seat that can hold him to lay flat. I guess I can pay an ambulance."

Shockwave cants his helm and Button takes the silent understanding, "I'm going to check in and see about getting those files done for you guys so you can look after Barricade. Don't worry, that compiling program and I are best friends." She squeezes the copper-silver hand and leaves.

Shockwave comes around and settles on the coffee table ready to chastise his subordinate. She beats him to it, "So how much trouble am I in for losing my temper?"

Shockwave sets his chin in his palm propped up elbow on knee, "Well apparently no one saw anything," and flicks his antenna in a shrug-like answer.

Timeflip tries to sit up, but his lilac hand holds her shoulder down tucking the blanket back up to her chin. "Not yet." There's a lot that doesn't need to be said between the two loyal, hard working and stubborn bots.

Timeflip relaxes into the comfort and safety. "I'm sorry I snapped."

The purple mech chuckles, "No need to apologize to me."

"I'm a slug laying in your office, yeah I do."

He chuckles again and gets up, "I'm glad to see you have a temper. I feel a bit more normal now." She peeks and sees him settle back to his desk and get more work done. "I can arrange a Ute, no problem. I'll help you get Barricade home."

"But-"

"Timeflip…." he huffs, "Shut up! And if I find you warpping again," he narrows his optic to fine beam and gives an evil expression, "Let's just say, do not defy the orders of the master of space bridges, femme. I will… engineer something. "

Timeflip flushes and pulls the blanket over her face. She hasn't been chastised this badly since she got caught warping out for sweets she shouldn't have as a kid. "Yes sir," she mumbles from under the blanket.

A couple days later, yes the day of the meeting, Timeflip takes the monorail transport to the hospital. Shockwave had told her to text him (yes even during the meeting) and he would have the transport arrive.

To Barricade's delight and Timeflip's amazement, a huge bad-ass black Ute is in the patient pick up area at discharge time. Ever so carefully, Barricade slides off the gurney pushed by the nurse. "Oh wow! Babe you're taking me home is STYLE! Nice."

She just blinks, "Barricade that can't be-"

The driver's door opens and a familiar frame slides out looping the lanyard of keys over his proud neck. Timeflip beams a smile, how sweet of Shockwave. The mech may not stride like he owns the planet, but he sure does stride forward with his personal pride and strong physique.

Barricade grins and holds a hand out in greeting to their driver, "Nice to see you again, Lo-Megatron."

Megatron takes the hand in greeting and flicks his brows to the rear bandage, "Again, Barricade? You need to keep better company."

The officer's mate scowls "AGAIN?"

Barricade flicks a hand through the air, "Look last time it was a dagger to the armor. Never made it through. It was nothing." And he shoots Megatron that 'thanks a lot look'. Of course the silver one has no shame in teasing one of his past loyal soldiers in front of his mate and shrugs.

Timeflip shakes her head and then talks to the chauffeur, "You didn't have to do this, I'm grateful." She nudges Barricade to be a gentlemech.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, sir. Thank you."

Megatron shakes his helm and takes Barricade by the arm helping him towards the truck. "I had the day off any ways and well… Shockwave insisted."

"Insisted?" Timeflip asks.

Megatron yanks open the back door, helping Barricade inside. "Well you know Shockwave. He can be…persuasive in his own way." Barricade shuffles forward so his torso is all the way across the back bench seat. Closing one door, but before he can open the other for Timeflip in the front passenger seat, she dares to touch his gauntlet. He jerks it way and then frowns. He knows she is asking what Shockwave said to make him do this, for surely he had better things to do than shuttle them home. Megatron opens the door and lays his hand out flat to give her a hand up. After all, it is no short vehicle and no problem for his longer limbs to get into.

She takes the warm callused hand and pulls herself in. "I'm sorry?" She wrinkles her nose.

Megatron snorts planting a pede to the running board that still hadn't helped the shorter framed femme get in without his assistance. "Look, he said that you two live upstairs." He rolls over the sentence in his helm again, "I believe he said something to the effect that if his secretary threw her back out trying to get her injured mate up stairs he would be a bear to deal with, therefore it was within my best interest to help you both out." He waits to see if she accepts the answer or not. She scowls. "Shockwave's temper is nothing to mess with," he looks over to Barricade's helm, "Right?"

"How can you say that about him?" Timeflip scoffs.

Megatron points a finger back in warning, "Because I know my mate better than you know your boss. Hum?" He points back to her own mate. With that he shuts the door and comes around the hood.

"Babe, it's alright. Just…"

"Shut up Barricade," she whispers. Right now she just can't deal with the fact that it didn't even occur to her about getting Barricade up the stairs.

Feeling the weight of the truck adjusting to the last passenger, Timeflip looks out the window. Barricade gives Megatron directions back to their apartment. The ride is mostly quiet. They really aren't sure what to say to their former leader and her mentor/boss's mate. That's alright, he's not really sure how to carry on a conversation with a couple former soldiers, let a lone a femme assistant.

Pulling into the parking lot, Megatron turns to them both, "Look, I'm a normal bot, for the most part." He throws out his best goofy smile but it's tinged with uncomfortable nervousness. He looks to Timeflip, "If you plan to stay with Wave Industries long term like Shockwave and I plan to, then we are going to run into each other. And Barricade, your boss hates me with every molecule of his make up, for that, I'm sorry if he makes your life hell. But there's no need to treat me any different than any business associate or former commander or soldier you run into. I don't plan on having high grade and cards with any of my former soldiers. Shockwave and I are rather private, as you may have figured out."

Timeflip nods respectfully.

"Good. Now, lets see if we can get his sorry aft up those stairs. After all he wasn't named Barricade for nothing." He smirks before Barricade can finish his cuss.

Timeflip gets the doors locked and shut for Megatron and while he assists Barricade towards the stairs, she dashes on up ahead and opens the apartment door. The exhausted mech sags against the door frame once they make it.

"Oh shit my fucking leg stings like a son-of-a-bitch," Barricade cringes. Timeflip's optics go wide, not necessarily to him hurting but the string of language. Been a long time since he's cussed like that.

"Ah, like old times?' Megatron helps keep the mech upright and in light spirits.

"I never did find out what Swindle laced that drink with," he grimaces to the dagger in the aft incident.

"Trust me, you DON'T want to know."

"Okay but I still want to know why it didn't effect you like some of the rest of us."

Megatron snorts, "I had built up an immunity to the stuff. It would take harder stuff than that to knock me down."

"Do I want to even know?" Timeflip brings them both a cube of cool water.

"NO!" They both agree flushing to the thought of telling a pure-devoted mate of past escapades where some of it is still a bit hazy and would be best to remain that way.

"Primus Almighty you mechs are just…"

Barricade reaches out and yanks her close, "All mine." Megatron backs onto the front landing seeing Barricade pulling his mate in for what she needs most: his arms. Timeflip is afraid to lean on him but he insists on pulling her to his frame. "Oh I've missed you Babe."

Timeflip buries her face into his chest and sighs, "I forgot how much I just need to feel you against me. I hated sleeping here again alone without you. The berth was… cold."

"And the room was silent."

Snuggling into each other and just hearing each other's spark beats they completely forgot about the mech who had assisted them until they hear the sound of the Ute's deep rumbling engine start up and carefully pull away. Barricade kisses her forehelm, nose bridge and then down to her lips. Ever so tenderly he is ever so grateful to sing his praises to Primus for allowing him to come home and even in one piece.

Right there Barricade knows what he is going to do while Timeflip is off at work. He's going to work on his promise to her…. He has GOT to find her sister and mother. Hopefully the craziness of sorting through his notes and making some calls will keep him from dying of boredom. Hummm, maybe even Coyote would be willing to help.

He smiles and rolls against the door frame to bring them both inside closing the door.

"Barricade, what are you up to?"

"Who me? Nothing."

"So help me, don't make me warp home to find you into trouble."

"You warp home and you WILL be in trouble. I'll call your boss on you."

This time it's her turn to pout and then scowl. What is going through that navy processor, she wonders.