The Diego Diaries: Santa Clausing (dd6 556)
=0=Ops Center about 1230 TMC
"Carry on, Paragon. I'll be back shortly," Prowl said as he rose from his chair at the center table to walk to the door. He left and the dance went on.
Outside, he crossed the highway, walked across the airfield, then crossed Cultural Center Road heading to the Courthouse. Entering, he walked to the desk which forwarded him onward to hearing room number 18 on the sixth floor. Rising upward in the elevator, he cursed his life then exited to walk to the room whose door was open. Sitting inside was Semi and Silver who was going to record the proceedings. Sitting in a chair grinning at him, Springer sprawled for the show. Drift sat across from him equally amused.
Prowl entered, then paused at the end of the table.
Semi grinned. "Are you formally surrendering yourself?"
Prowl nodded as he sat with his all business face firmly in place.
"Very well. You've been charged with hooliganism," Semi said as he read the datapad before him. "Hooliganism along with assault and battery. How do you plead?"
Prowl frowned at everyone who smirked back at him. "I am … unsure yet."
"Well, then maybe we can read the letters written both for and against you. Maybe that can prompt a plea," Springer said as he glanced at Semi.
Semi grinned. "I've received a victim's impact statement and some letters of support and/or non-support in this case. Perhaps I can read some of them and you can decide what you want to do. Is that acceptable?" he asked as he glanced at the tense winger sitting at the end of the table.
"Affirmative," Prowl finally said as he shot a cool glance at Springer.
"Very well. The victim impact statement first," Semi said as he dialed it up on the datapad. "Xantium Supreme would like to say something about this and its very short and sweet: "Hang him, Semi. Thanks. Zee Supreme."
Prowl frowned.
"The next letter is from your ada," Semi said. He grinned as Prowl sat up straight to stare at him with alarm. "Dear Judge whoever it is." He grinned. "Your ada has very good manners." Semi sat up straighter and began to read. "Prowl was once our only son and because we were high castes and didn't have a clue, he was raised in a social straight jacket."
Prowl shifted in discomfort. "You don't have to go further."
"I have to. This is the part where I do," Semi said as Springer, Silver and Drift snickered. "Our son is very brilliant individual who was a difficult sub adult-"
"No, *really* … you don't have to continue," Prowl insisted.
Semi glanced at Silver. "Rules of the court?"
Silver grinned, then nodded as he sat back to relax. The recorder was running with orders for Prime to get a copy of the proceedings for laughs later.
"We wanted a mathematician and physicist … we got both. He also sneaked out at night to go around Praxus and look at the way things were. He didn't think we knew but we did. We were just unable to figure out how to keep him in and we didn't want to alienate him further by lowering the boom, (I do so love human witticisms) so we let him. He went out and did WHO KNOWS WHAT but always came home in time to attend school. That's also when he became a potty mouth, too," Miler's letter continued.
Prowl who looked ready to vapor lock stared at them one at a time as the letter continued. "We would like you to have mercy on him. He's a very good mech and an ada. I think he's learned his lesson. He's very much in love with his bond and when Prime got slagged … is that how you say it? … he was overcome. So I would say, give him mercy because in my estimation he was temporarily insane at the moment of his transgression. Thank you very much, Miler of Praxus, Prowl's ada."
"Well, wasn't that nice. Here's another one. Dear Judge, this is Ratchet of Iacon-" Semi began.
"No. I'm good. I plead guilty. Lock me up," Prowl said.
"In a moment. Court's prerogative," Semi said with a dazzling smile. "I'm friends with Prowl though it wasn't so in the beginning. The corn cob stuck up his aft was so tight that he coughed popcorn. But over the vorns of time, a true friendship, nay, brothership was born. We've been through the mill, little Bro and I. Down the road and over the river. Prowl's great love drove him to a moment of deep and abiding temporary insanity. Dropping the bottle onto Zee's big helm was an expression of love. It was one for the ages. In closing, how do you solve a problem like Prowler? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? Oh wait … I think I've heard this before. Have mercy, judge. If you do I'll lend you my hat and cymbals at the next Iacon game. Yours with great admiration … truly … great admiration, Ratchet."
Semi laughed aloud. "Here's another. 'Dear judge, my name is Sunspot ..."
Bedlam.
=0=Moments later
Prowl walked out with ten joors of probation and house arrest for two orns after work. He smirked as he carried a data wafer that held all of the 'letters of support' that had been flooded to Semi for Prowl apparently by a mad medico. He walked outside, stepped to one side and began to read.
"Dear Judge, my name is Miracle. I am going to school. Is my ada there? Come home, Ada. Uncle Ratchet helped me to write this. I love you, Miracle."
Prowl grinned, then continued.
"LOU, HIM! MY SHE, OWL COMED TO ME!? I LOVE HIM! I LOVE YOU, HIM! I COMED DERE TO HELPEDED YOU! I, ORION GOOD! HAN BAD! YOU COMED TO OWL!? HE MY SHE! I LOVE YOU, HIM! I goed now. Orion."
"Dear Court Man, my name is Hero and my sister is Halo. SHE'S SO CUTE! I want to ask for Uncle Prowl to come home. He's nice and we love him. HALO LOVES HIM, TOO! He is my uncle and he needs to help with Santa Prime. Do you like Santa Prime? HALO LOVES HIM! Thank you, Mr. Court Man. Your friend, Hero and HALO!"
There were letters from Alor, Delphi and Elita, all of which varied in how high they suggested that the court hang him, one from Turbine quoting from the Chronicles of Primus about the deeply liberating process of forgiveness and mercy … or not ... one from Hercy that was hilarious in his wavering between hanging Prowl and letting him go, Kup who 'accidentally' mentioned how Prowl was ready to abandon him on that hallucinatory planet and how much he had MOSTLY forgiven him especially when he finally heard the story about how Springer bashed his face.
That one.
Prowl deleted that one.
"Dear Mr. Judge, my name is Solus. Her name is Sojie. Their names are Uraya and Iacon. Can our ada and amma come home now? We hope so. We want to make cookies. My ada makes good cookies. We can bring some to you. Thank you, Solus, Sojie, Uraya and Iacon. Possibility didn't talk to you on this because he can't talk yet. Good bye."
Prowl grinned and saved that one. It would go in their life books, too.
"Dear Judge, I would like to speak up for Commander Prowl. We've had our differences because he's sorta hard aft BUT IN A GOOD WAY! I would like to tell you that he should be let go. He has kids. But if you can't, then have him do kitchen detail at the Central Labor Council Veteran's Center. Just saying. Your truly, Smokescreen the Younger of Praxus. PS Commander Ratchet told me that Prowl will never see this. Thanks."
Prowl laughed loudly at that one, saved it, then continued.
"Dear Judge, I am Kestrel of Iacon and Optimus Prime is my son. I wish for mercy for my son-in-law because he makes my son so happy. He is the mech that we hoped for but never expected to see for our son, Orion. He's very self denying, our Orion but Prowl makes him happy and that makes us happy. He is the caretaker of our only son and he makes him laugh, relax and be himself again. The burden of Prime is very heavy and he never expected to be happy or have a home and family. But he does and we love Prowl, Tagg and I. I hope you temper your judgment with mercy. Thank you very much, Tagg and Kestrel of Iacon."
Prowl stood a moment assimilating that message and its gentle goodness before reading the last few. It warmed him more than he thought was possible, their kind and loving regard. He had it for them in return.
"Dear Judge, I'm Ironhide and I have to say that even though its against the law, I laughed to see Prowl do what he did. He's such a strict slagger that to see him come apart at the seams like that was great. GOOD ON YOU, PROWLER! Mercy would be nice. Thanks. Ironhide."
One from Raptor and Hard Drive followed by an amusing one from Blackjack rounded out the lot but for the last one. He opened it.
"Dear Judge, I am not sending you this to influence your verdict. You will do your duty with honor. I am however wishing you to know two things. Prowl is 'essential equipment' for the Autobots. He is always quick to remind me. However, he is 'essential equipment' for me as well. He is my warmth, my closest friend, my confidante, my partner and the love of my life. I hope you can craft a punishment that fits the crime. Thank you for the opportunity to tell you something of what I feel for him, the uptight slagger. Yours truly, Optimus Prime, bond of Prowl, father of many. Or as Prowl is so wont to say … father of 'all of them'."
Prowl ran all the way to the space bridge and headed to Cybertron to spend the afternoon traipsing around the southern climes with his soulmate.
=0=Mall of Metroplex, The Grocery at the Mall of Metroplex
Ratchet pushed a heavily laden cart to the check out, the second one of this trip. All of the biggest and most important stuff would be delivered to the apartment when they were home to receive it. This would go as well. Leaning on his cart, he listened to Ironhide explain Prowl's court attendance to him.
:He got two orns house arrest and about seven or eight joors of probation. He can't frag up again or he's banned from the games for a couple or so:
Ratchet grinned. :Then I think the letters I organized did the trick:
:They did. He's here and he's staying. He did say something about Smokey. You wouldn't know anything about that would ya?: Ironhide asked with suspicion as the mechs and femmes in Prime's group gave candy and presents to the kids and citizens of a small camp near the south pole.
:WHO ME!?: Ratchet asked as he watched the groceries he had chosen be inventoried, boxed and sent on the conveyor belt onward to the warehouse to await delivery. :Gotta motor. I have to get things done. Come home. I'm having pizza night a few orns early. Ratchet out:
Ironhide grinned, then glanced at Prowl and Prime who were talking off line. They looked serious and on task. It was amusing how they could project that when they weren't but he could tell. Ironhide wasn't Prime's 'brother' for nothing. It would be a very amusing tramp through the hinterlands until they left to go home.
=0=Diego around the same time
"When are we going home? I forgot," Jolt said as he and Smokey the Younger walked along on their beat. It was night and the base was only slightly less busy than during the day.
"Tomorrow at 0600." He grinned. "Did I tell you about the letter Ratchet asked me to write to the courts to keep Prowl out of jail? Here. Let me send it to you."
It passed to Jolt who read it, then laughed. "You better not let Prowl see that."
"He won't. Trust me," Smokey said with the confidence of youth. "Ratchet told me that the court doesn't share letters like that with the criminal."
They both laughed loudly, then Jolt grinned at Smokey. "Do you trust Ratchet?"
Smokey grinned at him, then the grin wavered. "You wouldn't?"
Jolt grinned and walked along as Smokey slowed. Then he hurried to catch up. "Prowl won't see the letter. Right? Right, Jolt?"
It would be a long and amusing night patrol at Diego Garcia.
=0=TBC 12-28-18 edited 12-30-18