DMK: Yargh! ...This fic's plotline is moving WAAAY too fast... T-T;; I need ideas for fillers... HELP! Anyone with ideas, tell me! .
Windracer: ::blinks:: is it that chapter yet?
DMK: ... one of them, anyways... -.-;;
Windracer: n.n!! Yay! But she is right about it moving a bit too quickly....so can anyone with decent ideas please help? We'll give you cookies! XD
DMK: That'll buy them... .;; alright, this author's note has taken far too long...so read on! P.S: To misticmonk, HOW DID YOU GUESS WHAT HAPPENS?! ...oh, wait, you hoped they did that... well...uhh, wish granted! n.n;; Now go, read, and be merry!
Chapter 7
Wheeljack's personal log
"It's been almost three weeks since I joined the Autobots. Missions have been dry, nothing's happened...Except I still have Hotshot breathing down my neck... I wish he and I could just put that stuff aside! There's no need, right? Aside from that...the others are tolerable. Even the younger mech I almost condemned in that factory fire isn't as contemptuous towards me as Hotshot still is. And Windracer... how can she trust me so freely? I tried to kill her who knows how many times and she's the one sticking up for me when Hotshot gets on my back... Then there's Raider... the poor thing... Though, I think I'm actually becoming attatched to him. Windsheer says I have a bit to learn in the ways of caretaking, but I'm getting better... Maybe... if he goes unclaimed..."
- - - - - - -
Raider's young cries echoed down the desolate hallway where he roomed with Wheeljack.
"Come now, that's enough," The older mech said to the young one tersely, holding him away at arms' length uncomfortably.
But the infant continued to cry.
Walking down a darkened hallway, Windracer heard the noise and followed it to the source, the ex-con's room, where she saw Wheeljack having quite a hard time trying to calm the black and silver baby Bot.
"Settle down," Wheeljack quipped, a little less than harshly. "Crying will get you nowhere." His patience was obviously growing thin.
As the baby continued to wail, the mech took notice of the small pair of hands that picked Raider out of his own. Wheeljack brought his face upward, and he came optic-to-optic with Windracer's pale gray metal face.
"You're doing it all wrong," She said to him quietly, but was heard over the din of Raider's fussing. "Watch me."
The tall mech looked on as she brought the crying 'bot close to her chestplate, with his tiny head resting above where her collarbone would be (if she were human still). "Shhh, there, there, Raider, you're okay…" She crooned to him, in a voice that seemed, to Wheeljack, as smooth as velvet.
Wheeljack's face changed to something of surprise, as Raider settled down and nestled into Windracer's chestplate, sticking his thumb into his mouth and looking rather content.
"See?" Windracer said to the mech softly. "You HAVE to be gentle with him, okay?" He nodded absently, watching Raider look about the room with that infantile curiosity. "Good. Then you try." She continued in a smug, yet friendly manner, moving a bit closer to Wheeljack and hefting Raider up a little.
The little Transformer noticed this, and his optics started to well with small tears yet again. Wheeljack observed this tentatively, turning apprehensive quickly. Then Raider was handed to him, and, as the older mech had feared, he started to cry once again. 'Jack slightly recoiled from the sudden outburst, and looked to Windracer for help. But, wearing a self-satisfied grin, she folded her arms across her chest and shook her head simply, not doing a thing. Wheeljack looked back down at Raider, and as told, brought him close to his chest, one hand resting gently on his back.
"Easy now," He said, his voice softening with each word. "No need to cry…"
And, much to Wheeljack's surprise, Raider began to settle down. Cooing softly, the young Transformer made himself comfortable and snuggled into his chest. Again, he stuck his thumb in his mouth, and began to power down his optics as sleep started to take hold.
Windy smiled. "There you go… Now ya have the hang of it."
The mech, still looking down at Raider, mumbled shyly. "But you make it look so much easier…"
"Ah…well…uhh…" The former human was caught off-guard. "Never really thought about that…as a human I hated little kids. I could've sworn they conspired and plotted my ultimate downfall…"
'Jack took this seriously, and stared. "Human children do such things?"
"Oh no, no, no, no… that was…a figure of speech. I just didn't get along with them…But this little guy…" She looked down to Raider, her smile growing fond. "He doesn't mind being in my company…kinda feels cool…like I'm important again…"
Wheeljack nodded quietly not really understanding, but kept his optics trained on the small mech in his arms. "I… feel strange…"
"Oh yeah? How?"
Wheeljack cupped one of his hands on Raider's back as he shifted around gently. "I don't know how to describe it… but this little one is changing me…" He trailed off, noticing that the said baby bot was sound asleep.
Windracer thought about this for a while.
"And so are you," he added more to himself.
Her head shot up. "…Come again?"
Wheeljack looked down. "I… I said that you and Raider are changing me… In a good way though…"
She was plunged further into a thoughtful state. "I'm not sure…but it reminds me of the type of feeling I used to have around Hotshot… Then again… it's different. Deeper, even…"
The femme furrowed her brow in more thought. She knew exactly what he was describing to her, but why was it that he couldn't identify it? "Maybe… all these messed up feelings are because of what's left of your Decepticon programming…?"
His head snapped up suddenly, as if an imaginary light bulb went off inside his mainframe. "Yes! That could be it! I probably have to get rid of it if I'm to make heads or tails of what I feel…"
"RedAlert oughta be able to help you out in that department…" She trailed off, her focus averting to the sleeping mech in his arms.
"Yes…" he agreed, not really focusing on the words, not really knowing what else to say to her. She tied his tongue and made his circuits overprocess… what was wrong with this picture?
"You want me to take him?"
Wheeljack snapped out of his revere and brought his optics up to her face once more. "Come again?"
"Raider. You look a little preoccupied at the moment, and I'd take him offa your hands."
"Oh… It's fine. I'm just thinking…"
"Again? What about?"
He looked down to Raider, shyness and shame being the predominant reason, and uttered, "You."
Windracer looked a bit surprised at this, and would be blushing if she were still human. The femme was at a loss for words right then.
"Y-you see… I don't know why… but you're one of the reasons I came back to the Autobots…"
"I am…?" She stammered, still a bit stupefied.
He nodded softly, still avoiding optic-contact with her. "Yes… Like I said, You and the little one are changing me…"
Her mind went into overdrive, processing all of this intently, but was interrupted when she caught Wheeljack stand and walk toward her out of the corner of her optics. Silently, Raider was lowered into her arms, and the young Autobot didn't even notice this switch. After making sure the little one was situated, Windy looked up to Wheeljack's teal blue optics. For once, he smiled in return, and she smiled back. Windy had long ago taken a seat on the mech's recharge bed, but the owner of that bed was standing over them, watching the two other occupants in the room contentedly.
For a moment, Wheeljack felt a new feeling, and acted on it almost instantaneously. He reached down and balanced her chin on his index of his left hand, stooped to her level, and softly connected their lips together. Rearing back up slowly and gently, and placing his other free arm around her waist, he brought her to her feet, the kiss not broken. He tightened his grip on her instinctively, bringing their bodies closer together, but stayed mindful of the young Autobot that was between the two. As softly as it had begun, they parted, both of them dazed and content. Suddenly, Wheeljack realized the implications, and he stepped back, his optics wide with fluster and shock. "Windracer, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Oh, just settle down." She chided albeit commandingly. "…and do that again."
Wheeljack seemed just a tad surprised for a moment, but then his optics softened, and gladly gave the femme her request. But, only a second or two after they had brought themselves together again, Raider decided to awaken, and he gave a little squeak of a yawn. The two broke apart suddenly, and brought their optics down to the small mech. Despite having been interrupted, the two smiled at the bot's antics.
"Have a nice nap, pipsqueak?" Wheeljack asked, bemused, which resulted in the said baby bot laughing aloud with similar amusement. Still giggling in an adorable and childish manner, he reached out to him with his stubby hands, as if requesting that he hold him. Windy caught onto this, and gently set the baby back in his arms.
"Well," She said with seeming finality. "Guess he really likes you now…"
'Jack looked down at the little mech, who was running his tiny hands over the large scar that crossed his chest with pure awe and curiosity. "I'm beginning to think you're right."
As soon as silence had taken full hold of the three Transformers in the room, it was suddenly interrupted by Raider. He quickly tried to throw his arms around the larger mech's chest, only being partially successful in that regard, and then exclaimed one word at the top of his lungs. "Daddy!"
The black and gold Transformer's jaw dropped, and he stared, optics wide down at him. Dazed, he looked back up at Windracer. "Did… he just… Call me what I think he did?"
She nodded with a similar amount of surprise, watching Raider rub his cheek into Wheeljack's chest affectionately and coo 'daddy' under his breath once again. "Wow… guess he really does like you…" Then, spontaneously, broke into a tiny fit of giggles, which flustered Wheeljack all the more. "Hee hee hee hee! Looks like Raider's found himself a papa!" She began teasingly, breaking into laughter seconds later. "How cute! Hahahhaha!"
And as if the situation seemed unable to become more uncomfortable, it did, when Raider pointed his finger at the teasing femme.
"M-mama!"
Stopping her laughs with a sharp gasp, she froze suddenly, staring at him with shock and fluster. She then looked up at the other adult Transformer, stunned. At this, Wheeljack couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess he likes the both of us…"
She was still rather embarrassed and shocked. "…Obviously…"
Raider clapped his hands, looking up at them both, completely oblivious to the fact that both Windracer and Wheeljack were rather uncomfortable now. He giggled lightly with a broad smile on his face. Windy then reached out and touched his cheek gently. "Looks like you want to have some fun, huh?"
The toddler smiled all the more and bobbed his head up and down, nodding. He then looked straight up at Wheeljack, who was watching him quietly. The two older Transformers exchanged glances, and both took a seat on Wheeljack's recharge bed. Windy began to teach him hand games, as the former Decepticon watched curiously. As minutes passed, Raider continued to have his fun, simply enjoying having his surrogate 'parents' in his company. And, unwittingly, he was bringing the two closer together. After a few more minutes of playing, Raider yawned again and fell asleep not soon after.
Taking every step with the utmost care, Wheeljack set Raider down on a recharge crib, large enough for him, and then turned back to Windracer.
She smiled at him a bit mischievously. "Now…where were we?"
He stepped toward her, and wrapped his arms around the femme's waist, and pulled her close. "Right, here, if I do believe…"
TBC
DMK…Ha! Like? No like? …tell me. I'm usually good with writing romance, but now its just this junk… ;; oh well. Please don't flame it… Bye bye now. Me go.
Wheeljack: Do you always have to leave out details?! I was getting into that!!
DMK: Um, I'm going to leave that up to the readers' imagination…and NO, they don't do the heeby-jeeby…
Wheeljack: Damn! o.o;; I uh…mean…oh, that's too bad… or something… ::coughs uncomfortably and scoots away from attention::
DMK…wow. Just wow. Okay, now that Wheeljack's proven he's very very wrong in the head, I think I'll leave… REVIEW! PLEASE! n.n;;;