Chapter 216 – The Judging
(WPOV)
Will watched his daughter in amusement as she scampered out of the communications bay ahead of them.
::. Clear for me to bring Anabelle to central?.:: he sent tentatively, reaching for Kae.
::. Clear and waiting for you.:: Kae replied sweetly. Will heaved a small sigh of relief, no doubt the femme would now gently caution the mechs around her into cleaning up their speech patterns a bit.
"'Streaker!" Anabelle squealed happily, rounding the corner into Central and disappearing. Sarah chuckled quietly beside him.
"Did you have fun with Sideswipe today?" Sunstreaker's voice asked gently.
"They're behaving as though they were her older brothers," Sarah commented with a smile.
"They might very well be her brothers here on out," Will replied with a laugh.
Sarah released a relieved sigh beside him, tucking herself under his arm.
"There are far worse people to have for sons," she commented gently.
"That's quite the one-eighty," Will informed his wife with a grin.
"You know very well why I was worried about their pairing," Sarah informed him in a gently chastising tone.
"I do, but I also know that Bee doesn't have the bearings to lie to me twice about the same topic," Will stated patiently, shrugging.
"Bee lied?" Sarah frowned.
"He omitted the fact that Belle had a thread in the first place," Will stated calmly.
"That's less of a lie and more an avoidance of unpleasantness," Sarah chuckled.
"True, Ironhide's flat out terrified of getting on your bad side, and the rest of the bots seem to have taken the cue from him," Will laughed outright, then he shoved his wife to the floor, covering her body with his own as an explosion rocked the base. Again.
"Wheeljack," Will grumbled.
"Anabelle!" Sarah shrieked, Will let his wife up and watched as she sprinted to the central.
It was weird, sort of… normally he would have sprinted to his baby girl right beside his wife, and genuinely stood a good chance of outdistancing her to get to their child. But he didn't, and he couldn't really even bring himself to be terribly worried.
Sunstreaker had Anabelle, and the mech would keep his daughter safe.
The utter lack of Sarah's voice raised in hysterics or mech's voices bellowing for Ratchet proved that belief moments later, and Will shrugged his shoulders irritably, turning back toward Wheeljack's shop to investigate the amount of damage that'd need to be repaired this time.
The doors slid open and smoke billowed into the corridor, only to be quickly collected by the exhaust fans and shunted through the air filtration systems. Wheeljack's holoform emerged from the smoke: singed, coughing, and staggering toward the med-bay.
"Wheeljack, why don't you just reset your holoform?" Will asked in exasperation.
"I did… twice…" Wheeljack wheezed. A little wisp of carbon dust blew off of the holoform.
Will stared at him for a long second and promptly did what any sane human or bot would do.
"RATCHET!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, a split second away from spinning around to sprint to the med-bay for the sake of fetching the medic.
"I have him," Kae's voice stated above him. Will jumped, looked up at the towering femme and nodded as Wheeljack's holoform looked up at the healer with obvious relief. "They're waiting for you in Central, Will," she added with a smile
Will shrugged and turned around again, there was no way he was going into the smoke that had out and out obscured Kae the second she'd entered it.
He liked breathing. Will strode toward the central again, making a beeline for the yellow lines as the vibrations in the ground said Kae was walking up behind him again.
How she made absolutely no sound when she walked was still beyond him, but that mattered much less than the state that Wheeljack was in: Curled up in the femme's arms while she held his servos in place with a few extra cables.
"How's he doing?" Will immediately asked worriedly.
"He'll be fine," Kae stated patiently. That was a good sign.
"What'd you do this time?" Will promptly asked Wheeljack.
"Not now Will, go play with Anabelle," Archangel commanded him lightly.
"Done!" Will grinned, jogging toward the central.
"About time you showed up," Ironhide immediately grumbled at him.
"I only have access to the primary, Ironhide, you haven't bothered to patch me into the rest of the frequencies, remember?" Will stated in an amused tone.
Ironhide snorted in amusement and looked at Chromia.
::. You get that one Chrome.:: he rumbled over the primary.
::. Won what?.:: Will asked suspiciously.
"You have a commlink!?" Anabelle demanded with wide eyes.
::. Which of us spilled the beans to Anabelle that you have a commlink.:: Chromia informed him cheerfully.
::. Shit!.:: Will shouted over the Primary.
Only on the primary, he was rather proud of that.
"It's just a midge, Belle," Will lied calmly, reaching in and pulling out the device he still wore for work-sake.
"Can I have a midge?" Belle asked curiously.
"When you're older," Will stated automatically. Sarah rolled her eyes at him. ::. So there.:: Will added with a smirk at Ironhide.
"Where's Annie Kae?" Belle asked curiously.
"My Kae is currently attending to Wheeljack's injuries," Optimus rumbled with a small smile. "But she is watching through my optics."
::. Showoff.:: Will sent to Optimus. The mech shot an amused glance at him.
"Where's Sidey gone?"
"Sides is in decon, making sure his holoform doesn't drown trying to get the ice cream out of his systems," Sunstreaker stated wryly.
Will grinned and promptly jogged across the central to his daughter.
"Daddy's here now! Do I getta know what it is yet!?" Belle demanded of Ratchet.
"Yes you do," Ratchet grinned teasingly. "So Belle, everybot says that you don't like the bed you have right now-"
"You didn't seriously gather together to give me an insomnia intervention," Anabelle stated flatly, planting her hands on her hips and looking sternly up at the medic's holoform just the same way her mother did.
Will snorted, but so did Ratchet and most of the company present.
"No," the mech grinned. "But your uncle and your guardian decided to both build you a berth and see which one you liked better."
"Less dilly-dallying," Ironhide grumbled irritably. "Sunstreaker."
Silently, despite Ironhide's curt gesture, the golden mech rose from his place in central, delicately collecting a bed-sized package from the top of a cloth-covered bench.
"Mine first," Ironhide rumbled with a little grin, pulling the cloth off with a flourish. Anabelle stared at it for a long moment.
"Little... femme... what does it all say?" Anabelle asked with wide eyes, looking up at her Uncle Ironhide.
Ironhide smiled and knelt down, gently running his fingers across the etchings.
"Little femme, rest your helm, cast your thoughts to another realm, recharge safely in your berth, whilst beautiful things float through your processors… it… loses a bit in translation..." Ironhide rumbled quietly with a bit of a frown.
"Unka Ionhide, it's beautiful," Anabelle stated simply, walking over to the mech and reaching up. Ironhide automatically reached forward, then onlined his holoform, knelt down and wrapped the little femmeling in a hug.
"Except I kinda forgot to figure out how to get it into your room," the holoform murmured. Will smiled, he couldn't help it as his daughter giggled.
"It's okay, I love you anyway," Anabelle murmured sweetly, kissing the holoform's cheek.
Just like his Sarah. Will reached out and pulled his wife tightly against his side, and smiled as she wound her arms around his waist.
"She's grown up so fast," Sarah whispered.
"I know," Will murmured into her hair before pressing a kiss to her scalp.
"Alright Sunstreaker, it's your turn," Ironhide rumbled gruffly. Anabelle promptly turned expectant eyes on the golden mech. Sunstreaker looked down at the bundle in his hands and moved diffidently forward; Will really couldn't help but feel for the bot, he just looked so blasted... shy! He couldn't honestly remember any time that he'd seen the cocky frontliner acting so deeply unsure of himself, even as a holoform!
"I didn't think to engrave the prayer, I'm sorry," Sunstreaker murmured abashedly. He knelt down and gently set the bed on the floor before carefully untying the knots which held the cloth in place; delicately spreading the massive sheet out across the floor to diagonally frame the bed.
The bed.
Will could swear that his jaw was going to find a way to comfortably rest on his chest like Ironhide's was one of these days.
At first glance it was a four poster, swathed in a practically diaphanous green curtain. But there was no opening in that drapery… then Will smiled at the artistically dramatic way that Sunstreaker gently plucked the final cover off.
Ah yes, there was the chin, it was on his neck.
Close enough.
(SsPOV)
"Unka Ionhide, it's beautiful," Anabelle stated simply, walking over to the mech and reaching up. Ironhide automatically reached forward, then onlined his holoform, knelt down and wrapped the little femmeling in a hug.
Sunstreaker looked down at the little bundle in his hands abashedly. What if she didn't like his gift to her? Would she hold it against Sideswipe equally if she didn't?
"Alright Sunstreaker, it's your turn," Ironhide rumbled gruffly, Sunstreaker looked up worriedly as Anabelle turned expectant eyes on him, he looked down at the bundle in his servos and moved diffidently forward.
"I didn't think to engrave the prayer, I'm sorry," he murmured abashedly. He knelt down and gently set the little bundle on the floor before carefully untying the knots which held the outer wrapping in place.
He synced his processors, delicately spreading the massive sheet out across the floor to diagonally frame the bed to best advantage. For better or for worse, Sunstreaker looked up at Anabelle as he lightly pulled the final covering away. He gently folded the gossamer sheet – delicate as a solar sail – and set it down beside his leg before looking up at the silent gathering.
It was amazing really, and rather terrifying: the Colonel and Ironhide had identical looks of shock upon their features. Had he done something wrong? Some human cultural aspect which he had not yet identified!?
Sunstreaker looked back at his creation worriedly. The same gossamer green curtains were still present on the bed, they hung sweetly within the framework; outlined by earthen styled trellises supporting exquisite, multi-hued, metallic flowers growing from thin, vibrantly teal vines.
"Sunstreaker it's beautiful," Sarah said in an awestruck tone in front of him. Sunstreaker looked gratefully down at the femme creator of his reliant as she broke the silence, his shoulders pulling back somewhat with pride. The Colonel strode forward to get a better look at the bed, even as Anabelle ran squealing toward it; she circled it twice at high speed before diving through the open curtains and bouncing on the mattress.
"'Streaker I love it!" she squealed excitedly, flopping onto her back. Sunstreaker released the cooling fans he hadn't realized he'd paused, and smiled at his reliant as her eyes bugged out in shock the next second. "Momma! I have the galaxy on my roof!"
Will grinned and began circling the bed more slowly, just to take in the detail. Sunstreaker smirked to himself somewhat, it was always enjoyable to have another keen eye inspect one's work; there were few optics keener than those of the Colonel, and fewer still with the bearings to criticize him.
Anabelle's bed was a perfect size, somewhere between a 'twin' and a 'double' by the humans' standard. Certainly they would need to fabricate sheets especially for it, but that wasn't an issue; even if the bots left the Lennoxs' could simply tuck larger sheets into the frame.
But that was where practicality left. Sunstreaker had gone all out on those flowers, each one meticulously forged and tinted, then mounted on the still-glowing vines.
"How did you get these colours!?" Sarah asked in an astonished tone, delicately fingering the roses. Will poked his finger into an out-of-the-way crevice on one of the tiger-lilies and looked at it in astonishment.
"No way you had enough time to let the paint cure!" he stated in shock, looking at his dry finger. But right in front of him, the very veins of the flowers were picked out in complimentary colours. Gold, blue, purple, all growing out of the thin vines.
"It's not paint, they're niter blued," Sunstreaker murmured quietly, inwardly revelling in the man's attentiveness.
The Colonel shook his head in shock and stood back again, admiring the mix of cultures in the bed. Sunstreaker had calculated that mix with precision for every breem they'd been on patrol. A four posted bed with curtains fit for their princess, supported by earthen trellises hosting a metallic garden growing out of a flowing, neural framework that delicately mirrored the cathedral currently above them. The Colonel eyed the corners and legs suspiciously for a long moment before shaking his head in admiration; he'd run into the vertical frame and curtains long before he could stub a toe in the dark, Sunstreaker had made certain of it, grimacing slightly as he'd recalled his own trials with human berths. The Colonel frowned the next moment.
"How do we get it into her room?" he asked worriedly.
"It breaks down into fifteen pieces," Sunstreaker immediately stated with a shrug. He'd thought about that carefully as well; Jacobs would have done, and he certainly wouldn't have expected any less. The humans could only carry so much, and regularly partitioned their spaces as rigidly as any Praxian... Sunstreaker glanced down somewhat, automatically sending a prayer of apology to those sparks before shaking himself somewhat.
He hadn't thought of that in a long, long time.
"Can I keep him? Please?" Anabelle asked sweetly, and in a split nano-second Sunstreaker's spark soared.
"Anabelle, it is unkind to place your femme creator in such a position," Optimus gently chastened Will's daughter. Sunstreaker glanced at the man, but evidently the Colonel didn't mind - there was nothing menacing nor unkind in the mech's tone. Then too, the Prime had kindly stopped Will from instantly saying yes, as was the man's habit concerning his daughter, and thus potentially getting into trouble with Sarah…
"What position?" Anabelle immediately asked curiously.
"The position requisite to make an immediate decision after having secured the necessary time to truly process the decision," Optimus rumbled patiently.
"Ooohhh, sorry momma," Anabelle murmured sincerely, promptly firing her optics at her mother. Will grinned to see his wife beam at their daughter.
::. Thanks for that.:: Sunstreaker sent quietly, glancing at Optimus; the mech gave him a tiny, amused nod.
"It's almost time for bed," Sarah stated patiently, Sunstreaker jumped and glanced at the woman in confusion.
"But I got homework to do!" Anabelle immediately protested worriedly.
Will squeezed his eyes shut, shook his head for a moment and sighed; Sunstreaker noted it worriedly - the man's emotions far easier to read than those of his mate.
"It's already nine!" Sarah stated worriedly.
"It's seventeen hundred in Seattle," Sunstreaker murmured quietly. Perhaps the femme's single processor was lagging?
"You're going to be up until one in the morning every night, aren't you?" Sarah murmured in an exhausted tone. Will shot his wife a worried look.
::. Colonel?.:: Sunstreaker murmured over the primary.
::. Sunstreaker?.:: Will replied curiously.
::. What's wrong?.::
"It's okay momma! I can tuck you in now!" Anabelle stated cheerfully.
Will watched his daughter with a small smile as she promptly dragged her mother onto the bed. ::. She's growing up so quickly.:: he replied quietly, turning to look at him for a moment.
::. This is bad?.:: Sunstreaker asked worriedly.
::. A typical five year old wouldn't even have homework.:: Will reminded him quietly. ::. And a normal kid would be arguing against doing said homework. Besides that, Sarah's got the early shift tomorrow...::
"Unka Ionhide?" Anabelle called out curiously.
"Hrmn?"
∂What do the etchings say properly?∂ Anabelle asked curiously. Sunstreaker grinned, he couldn't help it: Not because Sarah was now looking around for the closest holoform to give her a translation, but because the mech was now beaming at Anabelle. Instantly he winked his holo beside Sarah, quietly murmuring a translation at her smile.
"Hey Ratch, you always said it better'n me," Ironhide rumbled in an oddly tender tone.
"Maybe later Ironhide," Ratchet immediately replied in a lightly scoffing tone.
"Why?" Anabelle asked curiously.
"Because the last time I said that prayer aloud, Ironhide fell asleep," Ratchet chuckled.
"I did not," Ironhide rumbled with an indignant snort.
"You fell off of your bench and stayed there for six joor."
"I… was overcharged."
"After three cubes?"
Will laughed when Ironhide harrumphed, crossing his servos irritably.
::. Will, need you in communications.:: Lena called out quietly. Will groaned aloud, and Sarah looked up tiredly, reaching for him.
"Sorry," he murmured, gently pulling her to her feet. "I'll make sure I see you before you go to sleep."
"You'd better," Sarah murmured with a small smirk. "Well let's see about some homework young lady!" she commanded with a small smile, turning and snagging Anabelle out of her bed. Will grinned and pecked a kiss to his daughter's forehead.
"See you later," he murmured before pecking a kiss to Sarah's lips. Will backed a step and made an about face, marching his way to communications.
"Sunstreaker?" Sarah asked curiously, looking at his holoform.
"Ma'am?" Sunstreaker asked immediately, looking at the woman - had he done something wrong?
"Can you organize getting Belle's bed into her room?"
Sunstreaker straightened proudly, the Colonel's optics catching his own with a brief nod.
"It would be my honour," Sunstreaker stated proudly.
"Oh and Sunstreaker?" Sarah stated in a wry tone.
"Ma'am?" Sunstreaker asked curiously, instantly switching his visuals back to those of the holoform's; he fought the urge to turn to look at the Colonel: his footsteps had stopped.
Right behind him.
"My name is Sarah, please feel free to use it," Sarah informed him firmly. The Colonel chuckled quietly, resuming his trek; Sunstreaker smiled.
::. Sides get your aft out of decon and come help.:: Sunstreaker immediately sent. "Sorry Ma'am... Sarah...ma'am..." Sunstreaker corrected himself before making a face.
::. Did she like it?.:: Sideswipe sent cautiously.
"Don't you go glitching on me," Sarah commanded him with an amused look on her face.
::. Of course she did.:: Sunstreaker sent irritably, rolling his optics slightly. "How many times I've said that," he muttered aloud before looking at the woman. "Sorry."
::. Oh good, I couldn't really tell you know, you're all over the board bro.:: Sides sent in amusement. Sunstreaker winced slightly.
::. Sorry bro.:: he replied quietly.
"Do I get to see what it looks like before it comes apart?" Sideswipe asked aloud with a grin, whacking his back.
"Watch the paint! It's a joor old!" Sunstreaker muttered, lightly catching Sides' wrist.
"A joor?" Sideswipe asked with a frown, winking his holo online beside Sunstreaker's "I thought it was two since Kae fixed the wrench-dent-"
"How'd you mess your paint up?" Anabelle asked with a frown. Sunstreaker winced earnest this time.
"He didn't. He shed his armour for the metals to create your bed," Ratchet volunteered gruffly, Sunstreaker jerked up and looked at the medic in consternation. "Which I do approve of," he added in an amused tone. Sunstreaker sagged in relief. "Which on that note is your armour feeling particularly tight Sideswipe?"
"Maybe a touch," Sides frowned beside him.
::. Good move bro.:: Sunstreaker murmured.
"Then here," Ratchet stated with a gentle smile, offering Sideswipe three cubes of high-grade.
"Three?" Sideswipe asked curiously.
"You're coming close to it, if not this cycle then the next," Ratchet stated with narrowed optics.
"How many'd you drink!?" Sideswipe asked instantly, whipping around and grinning at him.
"...Two..." Sunstreaker muttered, glancing away.
"Set of armour plus an emergency repair?" Sides asked hopefully.
"Bring me your cubes when you've finished... thank you," Ratchet stated as Sunstreaker automatically handed him four. "Where did you get four?"
"The same way he gets thirty, or forty," Sideswipe's holo grinned, lightly shoving his.
"I've never had forty," Sunstreaker grumbled irritably, crossing his arms.
"What about the time we came across the drone's dumping ground and thought we'd hit a goldmine?"
"We carried twenty apiece," Sunstreaker stated flatly.
"Well what about the time you snuck into the 'cons galley-"
"I could only fit thirty-two in my subspace, I carried eight more under my armour."
"Well what about the time-"
"Sideswipe precisely what was in that ice-cream?" Sunstreaker demanded with a scowl.
"Pralines and cream?" Sideswipe asked curiously.
"Did you switch flavours!?" Bumblebee demanded with a broad grin on his faceplates.
"Gah!" Sideswipe's holoform bellowed as Bumblebee's flicked online, catching the holo in a headlock and licking his face.
"Did he!?" Anabelle bellowed from her mother's arms.
"He did!" Bumblebee announced triumphantly; Anabelle promptly began squirming in her mother's arms. Sunstreaker watched in stunned astonishment as Sides attempted to get rid of Bee's holoform by rolling him over his shoulder. The wiry little holoform stayed right where he was, landing on his back and dragging Sides' holo with him; courteously caring for the other's neck.
"No fair using your sister's tricks!" Sideswipe shouted as Sunstreaker noted the move to be processed later.
"You started it!" Bumblebee laughed, holding him pinned. "Quick 'Belle!"
"Gah! Nooooooooo!" Sideswipe bellowed as Anabelle landed on his chest like a cannon shot, licking his face with a squeal of delight before shooting upright.
"That's not pralines and cream!" she protested with a moue of disgust.
"No it's soap, but he did switch flavours," Bumblebee grinned impishly.
"Bee!" Anabelle shouted, whacking at the holoform as Sideswipe howled with laughter. Sunstreaker rolled his optics and lightly snagged Anabelle.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you still have homework to do," Sunstreaker informed his reliant gravely, poking Anabelle's nose with his own.
"I do, but not 'afore I squish your head!" Anabelle stated gleefully, sealing off his airways with her torso - which had him mildly panicked if he were truthful with himself.
::. Sunstreaker dial back your holoform to Cybertronian standard.:: Archangel sent to him idly, adding a copy of the codes the bots had neglected to add to his own holoform. Sunstreaker instantly obeyed; inputting the correct data he immediately felt the absence of lungs burning for oxygen, and somehow... he missed it. But at least he wouldn't have to worry about collapsing with Anabelle on his head. He promptly turned and looked where Optimus was still sitting.
"Thanks for that," he stated aloud, voice muffled and possibly incoherent under Anabelle's laughter.
"Thanks for what?" Anabelle demanded, throwing herself backwards to look him in the face.
"Archangel passed me the codes which allow my holoform to not collapse when being strangled," Sunstreaker stated immediately, looking up at her with a grin and poking her sides. In an instant, the girl was a squirmy ball of giggles.
"You didn't have them before?" Sarah asked with a frown.
"Kae gave me an attitude adjustment shortly after we arrived," Sunstreaker stated with a small amount of embarrassment, delicately setting Anabelle down. "The holoform was part of it, she set it to mimic the reactions of a normal human to outside stimuli, instead of Ratchet's version."
"Right! I'm surprised you didn't ask for that before!" Sides grinned at him.
"It doesn't feel right to be human and not have lungs," Sunstreaker shrugged.
WHOMPH!
"It's so squishy!" Anabelle squealed, Sunstreaker glanced over and grinned at the femmeling surrounded by the thick feather comforter; the bedspread a craterous explosion of wrinkled, puffy yellow satin. Bumblebee's holoform was grinning from ear to ear, arms still outstretched from gently lobbing the femmeling into her bed.
"Bee! Wanna help?" Sides asked cheerfully.
"Ready to go-" Bee chirped something in scout with a grin, looking at Optimus.
"I would gladly remain, however my duties call once more," Optimus rumbled quietly, nodding to them all before rising.
"We're in!" Ironhide rumbled with a grin. Sunstreaker nodded to the raised holoformatic hands with a smile and gently wrapped the bed up again.
"'Streaker!" Anabelle shouted out with a laugh inside the new-formed tent.
"All aboard the sleepy time express!" Bumblebee played cheerfully. Lightly snagging the other side of the sheet.
"The sheet isn't strong enough to carry the berth," Sunstreaker stated worriedly, looking up at the scout.
"That's okay! 'Mon Belle!" Bumblebee grinned, delicately opening one of the blanket 'hatches' and peering in. "Wagh!" he half-shouted the next second, pulling back and sitting on his aft with the girl glued to his faceplates.
"Don't smile! You'll pinch her fingers!" Sideswipe stated in a marginally panicked tone.
::. Don't worry, I'm good with humans.:: Bee replied over the primary. "911 emergency... Get-it-off!-Get-it-off!-Get-it-off!" the young scout played over his speakers, poking at the girl with infinitely careful fingers while Anabelle laughed.
Sunstreaker shook his helm in amusement and delicately picked up Anabelle's berth, a parade of holoforms and humans at his feet as he proudly bore his gift for their reliant to her quarters.