The Diego Diaries: Aftermath (dd6 183)
-0-At The Pit Stop
"This is closer than the Diner," Ratchet said as he sat down at a table that had been pushed together with others. His squad sat with their pensive bonds, Cargo and Keystock who looked like they wished they were anywhere else, the mechs who were kibitzing on the floor show at the courthouse, a number of adult sons of a number of families, and others of the hangers-on persuasion. Food and drink was ordered, then everyone stared at each other. "Why no drum head, Optimus?" he asked.
"I heard that you were vacuumed up with the others. It seemed redundant," Optimus said as he sat next to Kestrel, his arm draped over the back of his ada's chair.
"That was very fine of you, son. Prowl and Ratchet were trying to save us," Kestrel said. "I have to say … given that no one really got hurt … that was rather exciting."
Anders grinned. "I think it was as well."
"You were so brave, Madura. You punched the Watchman first. You walked right up and asked why this should happen. Then you punched him. Such a show of unity. We all had to come as well," Joon said with a smile. "I HAVE NEVER STRUCK ANYONE BEFORE! SURELY, NOT A WATCHMAN!"
Vinn snickered. "You always were a stand up femme, Joonie. I'm proud of all of you."
"What ever for, Vinn?" Lucien asked with surprise. "They were arrested and put in jail overnight."
"They were a unit, Lucien. They stayed and stood together. One for all and all for one," Vinn said with a grin. "You could have just let Ratchet and Prowl go. The Watchmen who were there to speak at trial told me that you were given the chance two times to walk away but you didn't. I'm proud of all of you."
Burris stared at him, then Anders. "Andi, you have a police record."
"Then that makes us a complete family but for Bezel," Anders said with a slight grin. "I have always done what was expected of me. I have always gone along. This is the first time I have ever bucked the tide, Burris."
"And you ended up in jail," Burris said gently. He was genuinely confused. Lon and Bezel who were sitting with Springer, Hercy, Kup, and Drift watched them. It was astonishing to Bezel to listen to his ada.
"It was the consequences of choice and friendship. I could never allow them to go to jail without me. I'm their friend and they're mine." Anders looked at Ratchet, Prowl and the others. "Perhaps the first real and absolutely best friends I've ever had. Thank you," he said.
Prowl nodded, more than aware of the straight jacket that all of them labored in as high castes.
Ratchet grinned. "You were a pillar of strength to me, Anders, in my hour of need. Madura, you punched the Watchman. I saw you before the cuffs came out."
Madura grinned. "That was odd. I never did anything wrong in my life. I never really did anything, actually," he said as Proteus took his servo. "That was the freest and most liberating moment of my life. Those youngling mechs in the jail, they need counseling. They can't go on the way they're going. They have to understand that The System is gone and it won't come back. I could never live like that again."
"Nor I," Edict said. Hobbes glanced sharply at Edict. Edict looked at Hobbes. "Consider the way we live now, here and on Cybertron. What do you expect from the System? Wealth? Power? The front of the line? This is a cashless society. Anyone can run for office and lead. No one gets the front of the line anymore. All of what we thought we wanted is no longer valuable. We suffered, all of us equally. It changed things forever. You have to understand that, Hobbes. All of the lies, the ways of suppression, the whole thing … it's dead forever. I could never and will never go back to living that way again. I refuse to be unhappy another minute or be the cause of someone elses unhappiness. That I tell you is my deepest and greatest truth."
It was leaden a moment, then Madura looked at Proteus. "Edict speaks for me."
Joon smiled. "And me."
Everyone glanced at Laslo who looked conflicted, then he glanced at Lucien. "Edict speaks for me, too."
"I stand with Ada," Bron-E said. She looked at Optimus. "Would you do me and my mech the honor of a bonding ceremony, Lord Optimus?" she asked.
"I would be most honored, Bron-E," Optimus said with his velvet tones.
Mercifully, food and drink arrived. Everyone began to eat. Ratchet rapped Ironhide's arm. "Produce the Radiant One."
Ironhide smirked at him, then withdrew Halo out of his hold. Passing her bundled self to Ratchet, he smiled. "Well, well, well. I just got out of jail, Halo. I hope you don't mind,." Ratchet said. "Kaon is ahead of you but at this rate, I'm bound to have you in the hold when they come for me."
HUGE laughter greeted that.
"Could I hold her, Ratchet?" Edict asked as through the door Rad-R and Riff walked, bee lining to their genitors. Halo was passed around until Edict took her. Halo stared at the strange faces as she floated around the table, then smiled at Edict. "LOOK! SHE SMILED AT ME! What a lovely baby you are, my darling," Edict said. He glanced at Bron-E who was leaning over to look. "I want lots of grandchildren, Bron. Lots and lots of them. This is a new time and a new start. I want to be surrounded by family." He looked at his sons who looked mightily relieved at their ada's happiness. "That goes for you, too."
"Well, well, well …" Ratchet said with a grin. "Put out an all call for Yenta Claus."
"LEAVE THOSE YOUNGLINGS ALONE, OLD MECH!" Ironhide said with a big grin. He got a rap on the noggin for his impertinence. "Pull up a table, infants. Join us," Ironhide said to the two boys who complied joining at the end of the table where the twins and Bluestreak sat.
"What's going on, Ada? I was just told you were in jail," Rad-R said with surprise. "Whose baby is that?"
"Why that's mine, the 827th infant," Ratchet said with a giant grin.
Laughter, huge and long.
"Tell me, Ratchet … how do you manage? I heard you have a lot of children," Madura asked.
"Well, about 30 but only nine live at home. Most of the time," Ratchet said.
"You have my son," Laslo said. "I really appreciate that."
"Tell him to come home and take care of you, Laslo. He's always welcome at our home but he needs to see you and Lucien more," Ratchet said as Partition with Lancer, Morius and Inweld walked in with Aunt Lissie. They stopped by the table.
"Ratchet … you were in jail?" Partition asked with a slight smile on his face.
"It wasn't a total loss, infant. Your ada was there with me," Ratchet said with a giant smile.
"WHAT!?" Partition looked at his ada who looked slightly uneasy. "THAT'S THE GREATEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD! What did you do, Ada?"
Laslo stared at his son, then glanced around. "I … I punched a Watchman."
Aunt Lissie grinned as the three youngling mechs stared at their ada, then each other. Then they smiled. "That's so great," Morius said. Then he saw Springer smirking at him. "Well, maybe not so great … but ..."
"PULL UP A CHAIR, INFANTS! Ironhide, help your auntie find a place to sit," Ratchet said with a grin. He glanced at Edict and Bron fussing over the baby and felt good. So far, so good. Lucien looked like he swallowed a live eel, Burris looked confused, Vinn was ridiculously proud of Joon, Proteus looked like he had invented Madura, and all was well.
So far.
"It's Halloween tonight. Kaon is going to play in about four joors. All is well," Raptor said with a grin. "I expect that Simfur is going to get the trick end of the treat thing."
"You guessed right, Abba," Rad-R said with a grin. "We're going to kick tailpipe. Are you coming, Atar?"
"Yes, he is," Ratchet said. "We're going to squeeze you all into the Primal Box."
Prowl glanced at him, then smirked. "Tight fit."
"Lose weight," Ratchet said with an equally smug smirk.
HUGE laughter.
Prowl shot him the stink optic, then looked at the others. "This year's Thanksgiving dinner will be in the Central Labor Hall, in the big party room. We expect thousands," he said. "Everyone here is invited. You'd come anyway, so ..."
Huge laughter.
Ratchet smiled brilliantly. "Bring cookies. That's the contest."
"You have contests? Cookie contests?" Madura asked.
"We do. First year, pies. Second year, cakes. This year, cookies. I'm leaning toward candy next year," Ratchet said.
"How about candy this year, slagger. I heard that cherry divinity is as good as fudge. I'd like to find out," Ironhide said.
"I'll make you some divinity," Ratchet said.
"You don't have to put yourself out," Ironhide said before a ped crunched his. "OW!" Gimlet optics greeted hilarity as he pouted.
"Ah, my sweet baby has a sore ped," Delphi said. "Serves you right, infant."
"No help here, I can see. Not even from the atars in this group. Slaggers," Ironhide said as he frowned at Raptor, Hardie and Blackjack. Ratchet handed him a couple of his onion rings and he grinned. "Bribing me?"
"Is it working?" Ratchet asked.
"Yep," he said dipping one into the sauce.
Huge laughs and grins.
"You're cheap, but you're not easy, Atar," Springer said as he lounged in his chair. All was well in his world.
"That's me," Ironhide said with a grin.
"I wonder, Ironhide," Anders said. "I've seen the war games on the television. When will another happen?"
"Vinn? Do you have the data?" Ironhide asked.
"We can have one at Thanksgiving. I was informed through the membership of the Autobot City Gaming Association that date would be a good one. Everyone is working to make their little bots into Godzilla, or so Ultra Magnus told me."
LAUGHTER!
"He would know. That mech is a gorilla," Kup said. "He means to win this time. Someone has to take back the trophy from Cliffjumper. That was a good bonding ceremony by the way, Prime."
"Thank you. The party lasted for seven orns I was told," Prime said. "I find them oddly enough to be a perfectly matched pair."
"I'm curious to see any infants," Drift said.
"Why?" Burris asked.
"Cliff is a mini-con and Buzz Saw is the size of a house," Drift replied. "Buzzie is just about the nicest mech you can ever meet."
"Nicer than me?" Springer asked with a grin.
"No one is that nice," Drift replied with a smirk.
Gagging sounds, laughter and suggestions to 'get a room' filled the space. The younger mechs looked at Springer and Drift with worshipful optics. These guys could do no wrong for them. Bezel leaned over to see his ada. "Are you thinking about getting a remote bot for the games, Ada?" he asked.
Anders considered that. "How do you do that and how do you join?"
"I will 'join' you, Andi," Vinn said. "I'm in charge of the games. I'm sure Bezel can help you with the remote toy. You, too, Burris. It's awfully fun."
"I don't know anything about this sort of thing," Burris said.
"We'll help you," Lon said as Bezel nodded hopefully. "We can go to The Game Place when we leave here."
Burris stared at his son and son-in-law doubtfully, then glanced at Anders who was filled with pleasure and happiness for once. "Alright. Of course."
Anders actually relaxed and grinned at his son. Bezel nodded to his ada with emotional optics.
Conversation picked up and the meal was accomplished without incident. When they finished and rose to leave, Halo was in Ratchet's arms, lunch with the squad was planned for the next weekend at the Tower in the Sky in Iacon and Madura, Proteus, Burris, Anders, and Laslo were in the game. Keystock was wavering, Cargo was going to help Laslo, and of the bonds of the Squad, only Lucien was still unknowable. The others were caught between a truly deep love of their bonds and the deep blue sea.
They stood on the sidewalk outside joshing with the twins and Blue who was mortified still at the 'jail thing', then Raptor slapped Keystock on the back. "Come on, infant. We have to go back to Cybertron. You have to bring the bag, remember?" he said, then turned to Turbine. "You have to get it straight with your students. You were innocent."
Turbine laughed. "That's me. Innocent."
"Come with me, infant, We have to go to Cybertron, too," Hardie said as he glanced at Cargo. "Come with, Partition, if you have nothing on the agenda. Time to get real world experience in the field."
Partition brightened, then turned to Lancer. "I'm going with Abba."
"I'll come, too," Lancer said as she smirked at Ratchet. Ratchet smirked back. "See ya," she said as she took his servo into hand.
That group walked off toward the military airfield nearby leaving the rest. Anders turned to Burris. "Let's go see what we need to do. We're members, too, right, Vinn?" He asked.
"Absolutely," Vinn replied with a grin.
Anders grinned, then looked at Madura. "What about it, Madi? You want in on this?"
"I think if you do, I will," Madura said. "What about us, Vinn?"
"You're in," Vinn said with a smile.
"Come on, Proteus," Madura said as he squeezed Proteus's servo. "I think I want something that flies." With Anders by his side and Burris following with Proteus, the four stepped out to go to The Game Place on Metro Highway 1 down the way.
"I can just make classes," Laslo said. He looked at Lucien. "I'm coming to the games, Lucien. I think I want to have some fun now," he said. He looked at his sons walking away. "I want to go to Cybertron some day, too. I want to help." With that, he walked down the street toward the subway on Metro Highway 1. Lucien glanced at the others, then followed. They were gone from sight right away.
Everyone watched them go, then turned to Ratchet. "Voodoo."
"No," Ratchet said with a grin. "Never underestimate the power of love in the face of great loneliness."
"Is that what it is?" Turbine asked.
"Quack," Ratchet said.
HUGE laughter.
-0-TBC 11-6-17 edited 11-8-17 edited again 12-24-17
I thought today was Sunday and didn't go to work. My boss called my family didn't know where I entire family tried to call me but I was having a leisurely breakfast. My phone was on some kind of dim switch so it didn't ring. :D Boy, was everyone running around looking. For a moment, I actually felt like Ratchet, the King of Chaos. LOL! :D Hugs to all, everywhere.