The Diego Diaries: BABY! (dd6 171)
-0-At the Diner On The Corner
The bedlam ended as the infants were placed back in their seats. Hero frowned at Ratchet. "You said that was a dollie, Ada."
"I know. It is. Sort of." Ratchet grinned. "I know we should have told them earlier but this is about nine orns early."
"ADA! I, Orion, see you's bee-bee." He smiled his usual gigantic smile, then tried to climb down. Raptor caught his arm, then set him on the chair. He looked at Appa Tap-Tap. "YOU BAD! I GO TO SHES!" he said pointing at Ratchet.
Raptor snickered. "No. Eat."
Orion stared at Appa Tap-Tap, his food, then Ratchet. "She not good me."
HUGE laughter.
At that moment, Prime and his family, some more of Ironhide's and a few punters walked in trailed by Springer, Drift, Bezel, Lon, Hercy, and Kup. They hugged babies, listened to excited chatter about the 'new dollie' and took a seat. When they did, they ordered and everyone grinned at each other even though for Prowl, it was ruse. He was already plotting sparkling theft.
"So … when is the ceremony?" someone in the back called out.
"Second Friday. Noonish at The Fortress," Ratchet said. "Be there or be square."
It was silent as they accessed the dictionaries, then grinned. Prowl on the other hand was doing the math. Lunge times grab squared by the screaming that would follow almost computed to worthwhile. He decided to not chance it. He had a reputation to maintain, after all. There was always ten seconds after the unveiling for a good old fashioned snatch and grab.
"Are you going to the night game?" Springer asked. "Nova Chronum is playing Vos here. First Cybertronian team to come."
Prime nodded. "I am going to that one and the one on Second Sunday. Both of them feature a Cybertronian team. It would be good for the well being of both worlds that we come to them if we can," he said.
"Kaon plays Second Saturday along with Iacon. Praxus plays First Sunday," Prowl said. "We have a game every orn for the next four if we attend them with several left over."
"Tough duty," Hercy said with a grin. "The unveiling after night football and before the second round of games sounds like my kind of afternoon. Who's doing the prelude and then the speech, Ironhide?
"Ironhide glanced at Ratchet. "I forgot," he said, then looked at the elders of his family.
"Don't look at us, infant," Raptor said with a grin as his elders nodded.
"I'll do it, Ratchet," Partition said as he sat next to Blackjack. "What do you do?"
Everyone looked at the big kid, handsome, earnest and relaxed in the cocoon of Ratchet and Ironhide's family. How many times did Prime, Ratchet and Ironhide's growing up include sheltering some kid or two that had no place else, who came in thrashed by life, then blossom in the warmth of unconditional love of the family? Too many.
Ratchet grinned. "You have to stand up in front of the entire group that comes to see this and tell them something personal and sincere. Sometimes its about family and sometimes its other things but it winds back around to the new infant and how the family and by extension, the group present has a duty to help them grow up safe and well."
Partition stared at him with a serious expression, then nodded. "I can do that. If you want me to, that is."
Ratchet grinned at Ironhide who grinned back. "Sure," he said.
Partition smiled, then went back to his food. Everyone stared at him with bedazzlement, then Springer turned back to Ratchet. "Who does the prelude?"
"Why, Ironhide, of course," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
Ironhide glanced at Ratchet with a glass of juice poised in front of his mouth. He frowned. "ME?!"
"Yes, Ironhide. You. YOU HAD ONE THING TO DO!" Ratchet replied.
Ironhide grinned. "Slaggers."
"Did you know he's residing on the couch until this infant is named? He keeps tripping going past me as he tries to get a look. I have to lock the wash rack doors to bath the baby. Who's the slagger here?"
"Not me," Ironhide said with a grin.
Everyone laughed as the breakfast passed by. "When's the next war game?" someone in the middle asked.
Everyone turned to Prime who was sipping something hot in a mug. He paused the cup. "Do not look at me. Did you not you and Ironhide start this, Blackjack?"
"We did," 'Jack said with a grin. "A helicopter fight between apartments."
"You said, "Unicron is waking! Unicron is waking! Flee!" Alor said with a grin. "You slaggers shot missiles at each other and hit me." Huge laughter. "I never told you that Ratchet and I were giving each other intel about your choppers while you were stealthing them between the apartments."
"You traitor, you," Blackjack said with a grin.
"Why not get with Vinn, Prowl, and see what the consensus opinion is among the members of the Gaming Association," Prime said as Prowl nodded. "Maybe we can set it up somewhere down the line and not be unduly hampered by the timing if something comes up."
"I will," Prowl said adding it to his internal list of things to do. "I heard a rumor that the Dinobots are going to be unbearably terrorizing," Prowl said with a frown. "I loathe the Dinobots."
"We know." -everyone
"Slaggers," Prowl said with a sniff. "What would you do without me?" Everyone started at him, then he frowned. "That wasn't a rhetorical question."
"I'd probably put myself on the duty schedule to hang out in Pretender gear in Vegas," Springer said as Drift nodded. "Nothing like hanging out in strip clubs."
"Yeah, but the strippers are human," someone said.
"There is that," Springer said. "I find the more I see human nakedness, the more I'm glad to be Cybertronian."
"How much human nakedness have you seen?" Hercy asked with a grin.
"Hanging out in strip clubs with drunken Reptilians has a hand in it," Springer said. "I don't understand human anatomy and to tell you the truth, I don't intend to."
"I can set up a series of lectures, Springer. I can tell you about all the interesting bits like female breasts and men's prongs," Ratchet said to UNIVERSAL disgust and screaming. He laughed loudly. "Did you know that human breasts are the infant food delivery system?"
It was silent a second, then a second wave of revulsion emanated from everyone with even a couple standing up to express it. Ratchet laughed. "Wusses. Sit down and eat your breakfast. You'll need your strength for my lectures. They'll be lots of videos to them-" he said before a biscuit bounced off his head.
Prowl who looked like he would purge his tanks glanced at Prime who was laughing riotously. "You're not setting a very good example, you know."
Prime glanced at Prowl. "I know," he said, then continued to laugh loudly. "I have such a terrible image in my processor right now."
"Here. Let me help you," Prowl said as he speared a sausage on his fork, holding it out to Prime. "Eat this."
Prowl nearly cleared the room.
-0-Later
They had chatted, then broke up to go their various ways. The game began at 1900 hours on the TMC so they had all orn to get things done. Grand genitors went on their way with disapproving glances at Ratchet and Ironhide. They stood on the corner watching them go, then Ratchet turned his back on Ironhide and stuffed the baby inside his hold. He turned to Ironhide. "What's your plans, handsome?"
"I have visitations," Ironhide said, "then I have to go to District Eight on Cybertron to see Appa about ordinance there. What are you going to do? Go home."
"I will. I want a book and then a few groceries. I'm going to be home until we go to the game," Ratchet said as he hugged Ironhide. "Best hurry. Be back in time for us to get to the stadium. Okay?"
Ironhide nodded, then slapped Ratchet on the aft. Walking off with a jaunty stride, Ratchet grinned. "You do, too, look cute when you frown, you old slagger." With that, he walked toward the Mall of Metroplex and the stuff he needed to get.
-0-At School
Autobot City Unified School District Pioneer School, Transitional Classroom: "MY ADA HAS A NEW DOLLIE!" -Hero at show and tell
Sparkling Day School #1, Group D, Speech Therapy: "ADA! SHE HAS ONE! I, ORION, WANT SEED NEW THING! I GOED THERE TO SEEING THE SHE! ADA SAY 'NO, ORION!' ADA BAD!" -Orion to Roto during speech class
Sparkling Day School #1, Group C, Classroom sharing time: "Ada has a dollie. We get a new dollie." -Praxus telling Laret the news
Youngling Day School #1, Sharing time in Mr. Terradive's class: "My ada has a new sparkling. We don't get to see it until three orns have gone by because we're Praxian and we have to do that."
"What does the baby look like, Sunspot?" Terradive asked knowing full well what it looked like. At least facially.
"I don't know. My atar got into trouble and now we can't see the new one until the naming ceremony." -Sunspot, a sweet guileless infant spilling the beans
The humans in the class listened to the news, understanding that he was talking about a baby transformer. What it was all about, they didn't know. But they knew that in about another day, the baby would be presented to the world and everyone would know. It was mystifying for some and delightful for others.
:CAN WE GO TO THE NAMING CEREMONY, MR. TERRADIVE!?: -Annabelle Lennox asking for the rest of them, her cup runneth-ing over
He would see.
-0-That evening …
"This is hard, Ada," Hero said as she got ready for bed. "Tomorrow?"
"Yes," Ratchet said. They had just gotten back from the game and were putting infants to bed. They were tired, everyone was tired and Ironhide was looking to exploit that. He walked out, then noted the news was playing. The games with Cybertronian-based teams were a big deal. It had been a very big deal …
They gathered in their box watching together as the teams came out. Nova Cronum Brigadiers walked out, planted their flag and did their dance. They had been brought over by bridge with their staff and a few family to show their quality here on the new world. It had been optic-opening to them to come, stay in a nice hotel the night before and have a tour of the colony. They had met Prime, had a nice chat, then retired for the night. The next orn, they had breakfast, came to the stadium to gawk with amazement, then retire to their team areas. Vos was already here.
The game started out tentatively. The Cronums were HUGE and some of them were fast. They were determined to win, to show the home world that they were a force to reckon with. They scored twice before Vos got their footing. From then on, it was a fist fight. The sky overhead was velvet with darkness but the stadium was awash in light. The broadcast was going to Earth, Cybertron and other places including the rec rooms of pirates and Razorclaw.
Earth was stoked because they got twice as much football over more days than before. It was a huge thing, especially now that mechs from the home world were coming here to play. That two of the teams had femmes playing was not lost on anyone. That made three with Chromia who had made the team for Altihex. Maelstrom was almost giddy with pride at the very idea.
By the time they reached half time, the score was tied, 2-2. A half time show of music and replays of the brutality on the jumbotron set the tone for the second half. They came out, took their sides, then the ball was tossed. Nova Cronum caught it, then ran in a flying wedge toward the goal. They looked like a destroyer in a raging sea breaking itself upon boulders aka players as they rammed forward, seeking the shelter of another score or two.
The game was so good and everyone so emotional to have a fully Cybertronian team playing from the home world that even the mini-cons were mesmerized. There would be no arrests, no assaults, no hoo-haw for Springer to deal with and by the time the slug fest was over, several things were determined.
Cybertronian-based bots hadn't forgotten how to play
Nova Cronum might, all things being equal, be a contender
If a game was good, it trumped the fights in the stands
When the count was finally made, it was Nova Cronum, 4 and Vos, 2. There would be wild celebrations in the camps of the cities and small towns on the home world. Cybertron had proven they could play the Martian teams. They were on their way. Three more teams were on world now to play their own games in one of the three stadiums. They would be seen around the colony taking in the sights as they were given tours. The other team, Nova Cronum, would head home the next morning and receive a hero's welcome back on world. Football season had just taken off...
Ratchet walked out of Hero's berth room heading for his own. It was quiet with everyone in bed. Ironhide was relaxing on the berth. Ratchet walked to the other side, then sat and lay back. Ironhide looked at him. "You aren't putting the pup in the bassinet?"
"Not until the naming ceremony is over," Ratchet said as the lights went down. "The infant stays in my hold until then."
"You don't trust me."
"Nope."
"Slagger."
Silence a while.
"You sure that the little mech is comfortable in your hold?" he asked.
Ratchet grinned.
Moments later …
Ironhide lay back on the couch with a grin. It was worth an effort to try and pry out the infant's main gender. The night would pass slowly before the rise of the next orn, the orn where he would meet the new infant. Only then, Ironhide. Only then.
"YOU ONLY HAD TO DO ONE THING!"
TBC 10-27-17 edited 12-24-17
ESL
guileless (gile-less) -having no deceit or meanness. Someone completely innocent.
guile: sneakiness, craftiness, deceit
your/my cup runneth over: a Biblical expression meaning that you have so much of something, its spilling over in your life. For Annabelle, it was excitement.
Back in the 1960's, before most of you were born, the expression 'be there or be square' meant come to the thing or place or be considered a dud. If you were square, you were unhip, didn't know jack about things, were 'old', clueless, etc. It wasn't a compliment at all. :D
rhetorical: (reh-tor-i-kul) A question that's asked that answers itself or is so obvious it doesn't need an actual answer.