A/N: The best cure for feeling sick and someone trying to plagiarize my work on another site. A package of Sour Patch Kids, a copy of the blu ray of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Coca Cola. :)
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CHAPTER 29
Irohide had gotten Drew into a regular routine of getting up with him every morning. Some days, he let Drew sleep, but others they got up and trained together. He knew it took a lot of time to train a human. But it not only allowed him to bond with Drew, but also would help his son in the long run. The boy was a natural too, fighting just like him, only not quite as good. Ironhide was gentle and often playful, however. Bringing him into a playful noogie when headlocking him, and the like. He never hurt his son, being very gentle, very careful, as he'd never so much as hurt a hair on his head.
By the end of the training he'd normally treat Drew to a morning of cartoons. Drew would cuddle up against him, he'd let him wrap his arms around him, and they'd put in some old animated film before Ironhide had to go to work. That morning Drew had chosen an old cartoon called Pokemon, which Ironhide only half paid attention to in order to make his son happy. "Ironhide?" Ironhide stared down at Drew, smiling gently "You don't have to watch if you don't want to." He added.
"I do want to, this is precious time spent with my little boy." Ironhide replied with a smile, pulling him close "Yer the only son I got, only kid I got. I'll take you over work any day." He noted, carefully stroking his arm, Drew snuggled up against him slightly "You're cuddling back, that's a first." Ironhide told him, giving his son a gentle kiss on the head.
Drew smiled up at Ironhide, he didn't know what to say. But he liked this, the feeling of security it gave him. The mech was the toughest person he knew, yet there he was, holding him, giving him every ounce of love he had. It was what he had always wanted but never before received. For this reason, he brought himself to finally say something, his broad smile widened and he noted. "I love you Dad."
Ironhide felt stunned, that had been the first time he'd uttered that statement, and called him Dad. And both felt even better then he'd ever imagined, and that was truly saying something. He reaffirmed his embrace of the boy he had come to love as his own, and replied, in the softest voice he could manage. "I love ye too, little one. More then anything in this universe. Just like yer Mom." He whispered, then added "Never forget it either son, ye hear?" He questioned.
Drew smiled, and nodded, knowing full well he was telling the truth. He and Chromia had told him they loved him all the time, especially when one would tuck him into bed at night. He'd just never had the courage to say he loved them until now. He didn't want to rush things, but he knew, he knew more then anything that he did love them. "Still think you're crazy for wanting me." He then added, shifting a bit "I wouldn't have trusted me if I were you." He added.
"Well, we did, and guess what?" Ironhide questioned, Drew looked up curiously "We're all still alive, and I'm now a Father as I wished to be. I have seen nothing horrible happen, have you?" He questioned.
.Drew smiled, Ironhide had a point, he and Chromia had trusted him when almost no one else had. Taken him in, loved him, adopted him, he sighed a bit. Glad that he wasn't a spy, because if he had been, betraying the two of them would have indeed been hard. They were the kindest people he'd ever met, human or Transformer. The sound of beeping grabbed his attention, Ironhide groaned a bit. "You have work?" Drew questioned.
"Unfortunately." Ironhide removed his hold, but turned to Drew for a moment "Would ye like to come and REALLY spend a day at work with me? You only spent a few hours before. But... I could take ye along, rather then..." He wasn't sure how to put this.
"I'd love to, Dad." Drew replied.
"Great, I can show you off to my pupils finally." Ironhide grinned, his real form lifting him to his shoulder "I brag about ye enough." He noted.
"You brag about me?"
"I keep a picture of the three of us on my desk, don't I?" Ironhide replied.
Drew smirked, he'd seen that picture of the three of them, and he still couldn't comprehend that someone like Ironhide kept a picture of his family on his desk. But then again, he didn't often ask, because Ironhide seemed to somewhat have become a family mech after they'd adopted him. Even in a war to save Earth, and the enslaved humans, Ironhide had managed to keep his kindness, and even change a little. "Who would have thought you'd become a family mech." Drew teased lightly.
"Just took me getting a family to get there." Ironhide winked.
Not for the first time since he'd been adopted, Drew realized, that in dark times like these, perhaps Autobots needed that sense of family as much as the humans did.
...
Jazz hated work, but when he had to do it, he had to do it. It had become harder since he'd adopted Jason, as he often worried he didn't spend enough time with him lately. Yet he knew that Jason understood, as the more he worked, the closer he came to finding his apparently still alive brother. Yet he didn't like leaving him with the troops he often commanded, or with Oliver, on occasion. Though his group loved the boy as much as he did, and would never harm him, he did not, by any means, wish to be the Father that was never around. Yet he was at the same time happy his son got along with his comrades, as they visited his quarters often, and he needed to grow accustomed to their presence.
The sound of his office door sliding open grabbed his attention, Jazz first looked up, but upon seeing no one, glimpsed down. Jason made his way inside, and Jazz only smiled. "Hey buddy boy." Jazz told him calmly, curiosity in his voice "Wasn't Bumblebee watching you this morning?" He questioned.
"I wanted to see you." Jason noted.
Jazz knew exactly what that meant, he'd given Bumblebee the slip, as he often managed to. Jazz however, smiled fondly at his son, and put his hand on the ground, allowing the child to climb on. "You could just ask Bee to bring you to me kid. You always worry him sick." Jazz told him firmly, setting the boy on his desk calmly "But I don't mind obviously, he'll be rushing in within a few minutes anyway." He laughed lightly, Jason giggled "Now how's my favorite li'l bitlet this morning?" He questioned.
"Bored." Jason sighed.
"Bored, or is that an excuse for the sadness in your eyes?" Jazz questioned, Jason only nodded "That's called worry, son. Talk to me. I can drop my work for a bit." He told him, setting the data pad he had been examining down, Jason's eyes said it all "Your brother?" He questioned, Jason nodded slowly "I don't know what to tell ye beyond what I already have. Worrying won't do ye anything more than cause stress." He stroked the boy's back affectionately "Do you want me to call Hound and see if they have an update?" He questioned.
"It's only been a day, they wouldn't know." Jason whined.
Jazz inwardly wished that Jason wasn't as smart for his age as he was. Sometimes he felt like he was raising a teenager rather then a ten year old. That was if he hadn't been very child-like, playful, and innocent. "It's going to be alright baby boy." Jazz cooed, gently rubbing his back, and then added "We're going to find him, and the fraggers that are holding him. I can swear to you that." He added.
"Jazz?" Jason questioned.
"Mmmm?" Jazz looked at him curiously.
"Can I call you Dad?" Jason questioned, Jazz visibly became quite stunned "I miss my parents... But you-you're my Dad now, aren't you?" He questioned.
Jazz's lips curled into a smile, he'd been waiting for that for the last several months. But even then, it had happened so soon, he'd hardly seen it coming, at all. Jazz smiled a bit, continuing to rub his back, Jason smiled up hopefully at him. "Dad, Daddy, Jazz... Call me whatever you want baby boy." Jazz noted, his smile widening "I'd love to have the honor of being called your Dad though. I really would." He explained.
"Thank you." Jason noted.
"No need to thank me, I am your Dad, aren't I?" He noted, playfully, poking him carefully in the chest, then tilted his head "And as your Dad, I have to ask that you stop scaring my companions half-to-death. I think Red Alert nearly had a spark attack a few days ago." Jason giggled madly "I'm serious, li'l dude." He added.
"Fineeeeee." Jason whined.
Jazz smiled, happy that he'd brought him out of his depressed mood, even for a little bit. Jason sighed a bit, and looked over his shoulder. "I should go find Bee, shouldn't I?" Jason questioned, as Jazz lifted him down to the floor "You gonna pick me up at eight again?" He questioned.
"Don't I always?" Jazz questioned, and nodded "Go on, go find Bee before he tears the base apart looking for ye." He added.
"Okay Dad, love ye!" Jason noted.
"Love ye too, li'l man."
Jazz watched his young son leave the room, before he might have been worried he'd get hurt. But after all the time he'd been on base, Jason knew where and where not to go, and thus, Jazz settled on relaxing. He was doing a good job, and he knew it, even if he doubted himself. He could only hope that they'd find Tony soon, as he didn't like seeing Jason's moments of depression, at all. He sighed, and looked thoughtfully at the data pads, knowing for now, all he could do is sit and wait. That was until he found the lousy Decepticons that had abducted his boy's brother.
