The Diego Diaries: Going Onward (dd6 49)
-0-At the Grocery of the Mall of Metroplex, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire
He wandered through the store marveling at the amazing amount and variety of things that were available. Going to get groceries without anyone with him was almost a meditation. He could stockpile what they needed and not what everyone thought might be a good thing. The weird food cupboard in the berth room was amazing in its variety and convoluted ickiness.
Pausing before the long row of flavored vinegars … the 'wine spritzers' of Mars and Empire, he found himself amused at the variety of choices. Picking out two more for the fancy tall fluted bottles than for taste, he put them into the cart, then moved onward. Stopping here and there, he filled the cart, considered what could pass for dinner in a house with seven kids and a big galoot, then wifi-ed an order to be delivered by The Takeout Place. Grinning, he trudged to the checkout and found that no one he knew was there but for Laslo. Standing in the next line, that tall bot was also stocking the pantry. They stood side-by-side awkwardly as the line slowed. Glancing at Laslo, Ratchet nodded. "Hello, Laslo. What's for dinner?"
Laslo glanced his way. "I'm trying something called salad."
Ratchet nodded. "There's a lot of good videos on the community channels or the Bulletin Board from Home Co-Op to show you cooking. I, myself, made a pair of turduckens." He grinned as the memories of that debacle clambered back into mind like fire engines.
"That sounds … interesting," Laslo replied. It was silent, then he turned toward Ratchet. "My son says that you are going to take him on as a diplomat."
"An assistant," Ratchet said. "I will train him to my standards and program. I also will have him do other things. I think he has talents that he hasn't even thought about so he's going to be doing things I insist upon. Diplomacy isn't a full time job here yet."
Laslo considered that. "Why? Why are you doing this? What sort of mine field are you laying, Ratchet?"
Ratchet considered that. "I'm an optimist. I prefer to think maybe there's good in everyone before they prove to me that there isn't. I don't see your son staying out of jail unless he's in a guided program. He suffers from intense entitlement syndrome and I don't see you or Lucien helping him so that he can adapt. If you want him out of prison and functioning in the real world, you have to support what I'm trying to do here. Right now, he's working to fulfill his probation and he's in the Home Guard. He's going to do those two things or he's going to be the state's problem."
"My son is meant for many things, none of which involve weapons," Laslo said.
"Your son is no more important than anyone elses," Ratchet said. "You are his problem, you and Lucien. Your old way of life is over and buried. It will never come back. Yet, you pursue it anyway. I wasn't the one who got you shunned. That was done by your own caste. They've moved on. You need to do the same."
Laslo stared at Ratchet, then moved ahead. They didn't talk again.
-0-At school
"What's the thing between you and Lumi?"
Fireball glanced up. Coros, a classmate in mathematics was sitting at the same table in the huge library of Youngling Intermediate School. "What do you mean?"
"You're always holding servos," Coros said. "What's with that?"
Fireball considered the question, then felt uncharacteristically uneasy. "Nothing. We're friends. We like each other. A lot."
"Are you going together? You know … like boyfriends?" Coros asked. Two other kids sitting with them looked up at the two, pausing in their work to listen.
Fireball who was the youngest dreadnought and very sweet natured felt embarrassment creaping upward as he stared at the three. "No. I don't know. I just like him. We're friends."
"I thought you were brothers," one of the other two kids said.
"We are," Fireball said. "We're warriors together, too."
It was quiet a moment, then Coros sat back in his chair. "You're having a boyfriend thing."
Rambler who had found his data and walked back to sit hesitated a moment. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing," Fireball said as he stared at the other three youngsters. "Did you find your data, Rambler?"
"I did," he said cheerfully. "Here. We can work on this together.
They did, though Fireball was uncharacteristically subdued while they did.
-0-On a shuttle to the northern regions of Cybertron
They sat together, a lot of big mechs for security, Prime and Ironhide. Smokey was with his appa, Smokescreen, his hero and who he was named for. They were chatting.
"What about the holidays? What have you got planned?" Smokescreen asked.
"I'm going to the flats and race. A whole bunch of us are going. I think I need you to help me, Appa," Smokey said as he glanced at his hero.
Smokescreen who recognized that look, the one that said, 'My appa can do anything' felt his spark squeeze. He wondered how it was possible to love someone this much. "What?" he asked with a slight grin.
"I was hoping that you can talk to Prowl and get Roddy assigned home for the holidays. We can do the festival together, then go out to the flats. Our whole group is going to be there and we're going to camp. Blurr and some of his friends from the track are coming. You could maybe talk to Prowl and get a change," Smokey said with a hopeful tone.
"What about you? I thought you were going to be at Enceladus before and after Festival," Smokescreen asked.
Smokey hesitated, then sat back. "Well … I sorta swapped duties."
"Did you ask or tell Springer?" Smokescreen asked. "You either are serving at Diego or home with the Watch but for the festival. That's your assignment, Smokey."
"I know and I do it," Smokey answered. "I'm doing a great job and I'm learning a lot. Ask my supervisors. Humans … they're sorta weird though," he said in his usual meandering youthful manner. He focused equally swiftly. "I like them. Don't get me wrong, but they're odd."
"How so?" Hercy asked with a slight grin. There wasn't a mech on the shuttle who didn't like this enthusiastic kid. He was that well raised.
"Well … they're small and squishy. And kissing. They sorta … I don't know," Smokey said with slight distaste.
"We kiss." Hercy grinned. "You do kiss, you and Roddy, right?"
Smokey glanced at Hercy. "Sure. We do. That and other-" He caught himself, then glanced sharply at his appa. "I … uh … I just think, Appa, that it's weird to watch, that's all."
Smokescreen who was struggling to keep his face straight nodded. "I imagine."
Smokey stared at his grandfather critically a moment. "You aren't going to tell Amma all this are you? We're just talking … like mech to mech, right?"
Smokescreen grinned. "Sure. Who are you going with, where and for how long?"
Smokey sat back, then smirked at Smokescreen. "You sound like Amma. And Atar. AND ADA. You would think I was a kid."
"You are, somewhat. I'll talk to Prowl but don't hold your exhaust in. He hates when someone messes up his schedules and rosters. As for your Amma … you're on your own, infant. Even I don't press that button."
Huge laughter greeted that as they flew onward into the night time of Cybertron heading for another location to check progress.
-0-Ops Center
"Well, I got shopping done and all that. Considering the number of hats I wear in this operation, the number of kids we have to take care of and the laundry, I think I do a slagging fine job. What about you?" Ratchet asked as he put up his peds.
Prowl who was up to his optical ridges in work shot Ratchet a gimlet optic. "Is there a point to this line of insanity, Loon?"
Ratchet snickered. "The boys are going to be on Cybertron over night. All of them. How about coming to my house with your favorite snacks and we can tell lies. We can have Alor, Turbine, Delphi, and your ada. We can corrupt Miler to the dark side or better yet. We can ask him to tell us embarrassing stories about your gothic youth." Ratchet smiled a dazzling smile.
"Do you really think I would place my rather naive straight laced ada within the reach of your talons?" Prowl asked.
"Sure. We can have Scout come and maybe others. We can call it a book club, the Beer Book Club," Ratchet said.
Prowl grinned in spite of himself. "It would be a short crawl toward home for most of us. I would have to have a babysitter."
"We could pool all the infants at your house, its big enough, and get loaded at my place. It's also big enough. We have three washracks to purge in," Ratchet said.
"We have more," Prowl said with an almost prissy smugness, the kind that he knew Ratchet loved.
"We can tell Turbine that we want him to save us from our sins and then Alor can corrupt us. That way we can sin and be saved over and over. Don't you think that would be fun?" Ratchet asked as he batted his optic ridges like a big eyed ingenue.
Prowl laughed in spite of himself. "There isn't enough salvation in the universe to save you from the Pit. I'm in. Let me think on having my ada come. After all, someone has to be sober to start things in the morning. Are you going to the hearing on Partition?"
"I am. I think I have to vouch for him," Ratchet said.
"You're an idiot," Prowl replied.
Ratchet smiled a dazzling smile, one that curled peds in other mechs whenever he did. He was after all considered by the words of Carly Brooks-Spencer "ravishing' and in Cybertronian culture and society he was. Prowl who wasn't far behind smirked back. "Prowler, you're quite the sweet talker. Never change. Much."
Prowl sat back in his chair with a grin. "Booze, snacks, gossip … what else?"
"Nothing. I'll supply the house. You bring the beer. I stocked up on spritzers and I'll order more in. You get the sitter?" Ratchet asked as he stood.
"I will," Prowl said. "Bring them all up after dinner. Even the big boys."
"I will," Ratchet said as he turned to go. "This is going to be fun."
He walked to the door and left.
Prowl smirked as he watched Ratchet go. "I hope so, Loon," he said to himself. "My little ada is going to be there."
-0-Later that evening
Ratchet laughed, then signed off. Turning to the mob gathering in the living room, he smiled. "DON'T YOU ALL LOOK HANDSOME!"
Everyone grinned, then Orion who was standing with a backpack filled with toys strapped on his back walked to his ada and looked up. "ADA! YOU GOING TO THE SHES TOO!? OWL COMED YOU THERE TO HIM!? OTIS TOO?"
Ratchet grinned. "Nope. Owl is coming here. You're going there. All the little kids are waiting for you. Owl and I are going to sit and talk and tell stories." He looked at the big boys who were grinning at Ratchet, all but Fireball. "You going to be alright?"
They nodded, then began to gather up the kids. Ratchet who could read energy walked to the door and let them out, watching as they walked to the elevator. When Fireball reached him at the end of a long line of kids, Ratchet halted him. Leaning out, Ratchet called to the others. "Fireball is coming but I need him a moment."
They all called back, then entered the elevator, Sunspot, Bos, the little kids, and Genesis. They waved as the door closed. Ratchet turned to Fireball. "What's up, son? You look like you lost your best friend."
Fireball stared at him, then the floor. "Nothing."
Ratchet gently steered the big boy back inside, the shut the door. "Sit and tell your old ma what's happening? You can't hide from me. I khow how to read energy. Something happened with you that's bothering you. Families help each other."
Fireball sat down, then stared at the floor. "Ada … I like Lumi. Do you know?"
Ratchet who sat grinned. "I do. Lumi is a really wonderful mech."
Fireball sat back, then nodded. "I know. I really like him. We're sort of ..."
"Friendly. Like boyfriends?" Ratchet asked gently.
Fireball looked up, then nodded. "Yes. We've always been really close and I really like him and he really likes me."
"That's a good thing. What made it bad or hurtful?" Ratchet asked.
"Someone at school sort of made me feel … odd about it. He asked me if we were boyfriends," Fireball replied softly.
"You are," Ratchet said.
Fireball looked at Ratchet a moment. "We are but … I don't think they feel like its nice or something. I don't know how to explain how I felt when he said things to me. I felt embarrassed. Is that wrong?"
Ratchet stared at the big kid, so adult in some ways and such a youngster in others. "Not at all. If you like each other then its no one elses business but yours and ours. Your atar and me … we would take care of you and if we disappove then we would say something. We haven't have we."
"No," he said with a lighter tone. "You're great, Ada. All this," he said glancing around the room. "A home and family life, school, doing things with other kids … I like that word. The humans have nice words."
"They do and you're a kid. You and Lumi have a sweet friendship. If you want to hold hands, do it. Don't let others make you feel badly. Did they say anything hurtful or mean?" Ratchet asked.
"No. It was sort of how they asked and said it. It felt odd to me," Fireball said. "I sort of feel like I don't want to hold Lumi's hand when I'm around him."
"That would make me sad to see, son," Ratchet said. "You have our permission to hold hands and be sweet to each other. We draw the line at more than that. You're young still."
Fireball stare at him, then looked slightly flustered. "We … we don't, Ada."
Ratchet grinned. "You'll always talk to me first before things get beyond the sweetness, right? You're both dear to us and we want you to be young and free as long as possible. I'm a doctor and I have a lot to tell you about relationships that you'll need to know eventually. Okay?"
Fireball nodded, then grinned slightly. "This is strange. I never felt weird before now."
"Don't," Ratchet said. "Just live and be a kid. If you want to hold Lumi's servo and be his boyfriend, then more power to you. Okay?"
Fireball grinned. "Okay."
Ratchet stood, then hugged the big boy. "Better motor. Prowl is counting helms, the slagger."
Fireball laughed, then walked to the door. "Good night, Ada."
"Good night, son," Ratchet said as he walked out the door. Walking to the monitor, Ratchet called Ironhide up. His face appeared as he sat on a shuttle with Prime and a bunch of mechs. "Hey, handsome. How are you doing?"
"Good. I am handsome aren't I," Ironhide preened as laughter and hoots greeted that remark.
"Fireball got teased at school about his friendship with Lumi. I just had the first sort of nuts and bolts chat with him. Thanks for being there, you slagger," Ratchet said with a grin.
"Who's teasing him?" Ironhide asked with a frown.
"Someone just asked about Lumi and he felt awkward. You remember that don't you? That awkward phase?"
"Who me? I cut a wide swath," Ironhide said to more derision. "How is he?"
"Better. Still young and uncomfortable," Ratchet said. "Emergent mech hood and all that. You get the next one."
"Frag that. What are you doing, Old Mech?" Ironhide asked.
"Well, I bought a lot of booze and snacks, invited your entire family, Prowl and Miler over for our book club," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
"You don't belong to a book club," Ironhide said with a slight frown.
"We do now. The Booze and Snacks Book Club. I'm going to get your ada and ammas loaded, then ask them for every embarrassing thing you ever did," Ratchet said as the alarm on Ironhide's face lit up the screen. "But don't feel singled out. I'm going to do the same with Miler and Prowl." He smiled again. "Nighty-night." The screen went blank.
"Oh frag," Ironhide said as he glanced at a grinning Prime. "There goes the neighborhood."
Laughter. Long and loud.
-0-TBC 6-26-17 edited 6-30-17