The Diego Diaries: The Good of the Order (dd8 392)
=0=Conference Room, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
"Poor widdow baby." -everyone and I paraphrase
Ironhide glowered at all of them. "Frag all of you."
"INCLUDING ME!?" Delphi asked with a giant smile.
"ESPECIALLY YOU! WHY AREN'T YOU DEFENDING ME!?" Ironhide bellowed.
"Because you look SO CUTE when you whine," Delphi said as he sat back with a grin. "My little mech, soooo cute."
All his elders nodded.
Ironhide frowned deeper, then relaxed his face when he remembered they liked it.
Huge laughter rounded the room.
Jetta glanced at Cindy who was laughing. "How do you like taking care of Earth2, Cindy?" he asked because he had a very slight ornery streak that only came out when he was around those he didn't trust or care for like Owen Harris.
Cindy glanced at him feeling Owen's eyes acutely upon her. :Its a wonderful place. I invite all of you to come more often. We love to have you:
Everyone watched Owen's placid expression and his nod to her suggestion. He had some powerful self control.
Brandon Clark didn't and his grin was big.
"Nice suggestion," Jetta said. "We'll get together about the expansion."
:Thank you. We'll be happy to discuss it: she said as she glanced at Owen. :All of us:
"So all you slaggers put in for more expansion," Ratchet said. "News to me."
"OLD MECH! YOU'RE THE BOSS HOG OF ALL THE HUMAN HABITATS ON WORLD INCLUDING N.E.S.T. HOW THE FRAG DIDN'T YOU KNOW?!" Ironhide asked.
In a fashion.
"Well, Ironhide," Ratchet began slowly, "it could be because I'm also Secretary of State, the negotiator of any and all things for the Prime's Brief, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Chief Medical Officer for the Armed Forces and the entire Empire. Add to that 27 children at home and you, YOU BIG FRAGGER and you get the idea." He smiled brilliantly.
HUGE laughter filled the room, then Prime glanced at Ratchet. "Do you really do all that for me?"
Ratchet smiled his best smile. "Yes," he said through its dazzling intensity.
"Thanks, Ratchet," Prime said as he sat back to enormous laughter.
Prowl who was smirking at Ratchet sat back as well. "Keeps you out of jail."
Ratchet turned his smile on Prowl. "Yep."
Huge laughter and relaxation suffused the room from the momentary tension that Jetta created, the slagger.
:So what do you think about the last game?: William Lennox asked. :Who do you play next?:
"Vos," Optimus said. "I look forward to beating them this year as well as before."
"Is that so," Starscream purred.
"Yes."
"Most likely."
"Done deal."
Who are you kidding? By miles and miles."
Starscream glanced at the slaggers around the room offering their 'opinions', then frowned rather prettily. "Frag all of you."
HUGE laughter and mockery, some of it from Warlord and Rainmaker ensued.
Prime grinned at Starscream.
Starscream grinned at Prime.
Stand off.
"How is Tell doing?" Turbine asked as he lounged next to Delphi. Both were heading for Cybertron shortly with Prime.
"He's in school right now," Drift said. "He's hearing really well and the level of sound is less scary and painful. They're going to regulate the levels in his audials tomorrow." He glanced at Ratchet. "Are you going to be there?"
Ratchet nodded. "Wild horses, infant."
Drift grinned as Springer looked relieved. "He goes to school every orn for about 2-4 joors depending on what they do and how tired he gets. He can sit up by himself and he lies on his chassis and flaps his arms and legs."
"Pre-walking. He's flying," Turbine said. "I love them at this age. I want him for date night tonight."
The two stared at Turbine for a long minute, then themselves. With reluctance they both nodded.
"Hallelujah," Turbine said. "Its going to be fun at my house. Raptor? Did you hear?" he asked as he glanced at a monitor.
Raptor who was watching the show was grinning from audial to audial. "I heard. Fun will be had. You two go do something and you're welcome."
"I can think of a number of things," Jetta said as Elita rubbed his neck with her servo.
Snickers rounded the room as Drift and Springer squirmed.
"This is the first time but not really. You leave him with the sitter when you go to work. Have a steak and goof around," Kup said. "You do remember what that is, right?"
They both sat back letting the event percolate through them as the hoo-hah rolled onward. By the time people were rising to go it was almost, ALMOST okay. They filed out together to get Tell and go home for his nap.
"Those two won't know what to do," Ratchet said to Prowl as they lounged in their chairs.
"I remember," Prowl said as he glanced at a grinning Optimus. "Do you want to talk about Ominous or is that a later item when we care more?"
"The latter," Prime said. "Right now I feel the love."
Huge laughter greeted that confession as Ironhide returned with two plates stacked high with baked goods and candy. He set them down, then sat himself. "Thank me later," he said as he picked up the chocolate covered donut with sprinkles.
"Sprinkles."
Ironhide glanced at Prime. "Yeah. I love sprinkles."
"Sprinkles are good."
Ironhide sat back side-eyeing Prime. "If you think you can guilt trip me into giving you this you're off your gyro."
"Sprinkles are your favorite," Prowl said as he glanced at Optimus.
Optimus nodded.
Ironhide stared at the donut, then begrudgingly gave it to Prime.
Prime smiled, ate it in two bites, then vented a sigh. "Thank you, Ironhide. How selfless of you."
"Slagging right," Ironhide said as he picked up a donut covered in chocolate.
"I like chocolate."
Ironhide glanced at Prime, then frowned. "Frag you."
It was silent a moment, then Ironhide handed the donut over.
Prime ate it more slowly this time.
Ironhide picked up another chocolate covered donut.
"I like chocolate, too."
Ironhide glanced at Ratchet with a frown. "Frag off, old mech. I AM IRONHIDE! I EAT DONUTS!"
It was silent, then he handed it over to Ratchet. Rising, he walked with the TWO plates to the end of the table to sit and glare at the three of them with menace. "Frag off. I'm EATING ALL OF THEM!"
"Okay." -all three of them.
Ironhide stared at them, then the two plates of donuts, cookies and candy. He picked up a cookie, then ate it.
"I love cookies."
Ironhide glared at Prime. "Okay. I'll have another one for you." He did, then two more for good measure.
They watched him eat the cookies while sending the live stream to Ironhide's elders wherever they were at the time.
=0=Hardie
He sat at his desk watching the video stream internally as his kids got things ready for the orn. He was rolling on the inside remembering moments when Ironhide was a pre-sub adult and had the same prank pulled upon him.
Old times.
So felt the others as they watched and howled. The online conversation among them was golden.
=0=Conference room
He ate a donut, then three more cookies. Staring defiantly at them as he did, he ate candy, more donuts, then finished the cookies. It took a while but he cleared both plates. Sitting back, he grinned. "That was INCREDIBLE! Slaggers. I was sharing and then you pulled this slag. Two can play at that game."
It was then that a young mech popped his helm in. "Delivery?"
Prowl nodded as the kid came in, set a box down, then began to unload covered dinner plates and a couple of small boxes. Handing out the beer to Prowl, he chatted a moment, then walked out.
Prowl handed a big covered plate to Ratchet, then Prime while taking one for himself. When they were opened it was delectable. Steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables and buns in the boxes rounded it out. It smelled divine.
Ironhide stared at the feast, then the three of them as they began to eat the food and drink what was obviously ice cold beer. "What the frag."
"Oh hi, Ironhide," Prowl said as he buttered a piping hot bun. "I forgot you were there. Want a bite?"
Ironhide who couldn't pack a gnat into his gut frowned deeply. "You did this on purpose."
All three of them glanced his way. "What?" -all 3
They would eat, Ironhide would silently glower and his elders on two worlds would roll in the aisle. You can't be a woos in the army or you'll never survive the humor. Thus endeth the lesson.
=0=At the house
They walked in with Tell who was smiling at them as they closed the door. They smiled back. Shucking him of his gear, they set him on the table to give him his snack before his nap.
"What do you want to do tonight? Work or take the time off?" Drift asked as he gave Tell his cookie and sippy cup.
"I don't know. We could take an orn off. Hercy and Kup can cover it," Springer said.
"Alright," Drift said as he texted Maxi the change in plans. He glanced at Springer. "This is weird."
Springer nodded as he sat down on a chair to watch Tell eat. "I forgot what we did before him."
Drift nodded. "I know."
It was silent a moment.
"Weird," Springer said.
"Yeah," Drift agreed.
=0=On the way to Unidad
Sunstreaker rolled down the highway on his skates diving in and out of traffic until he reached the turnoff. Heading in, he blazed toward the door, entered, then waited for the atmosphere to change. He rolled in where Carly was waiting. Slowing to a halt, he knelt.
"Thank you, Sunstreaker, for coming," she said. "They're waiting for you."
Sunstreaker nodded then walked with Carly through the facility toward the big conference room nearby. Entering, he paused to take in the place.
All along the walls of the big room were the school kids' science projects. They were placed that way to allow him to enter and see everything. Standing in front of each was a child from the International Elementary School or the International High School. They were waiting for him expectantly.
Carly grinned as she turned toward the kids and the room filled with teachers, staff and everyone who wasn't working it seemed. They'd come to watch in numbers. "This is Autobot Sunstreaker of Kaon who is Vice President of the Autobot City Unified School District of which our schools are satellites. He's here to judge our science fair. Thank you, Sunstreaker, for coming."
The applause was loud and wild.
"Glad to do it," Sunny said with a warm sensation filling him.
He was.
He would.
He would chat with each kid, listen to their ideas, check out their effort and creativity and be a good judge. It would be a great experience for everyone, especially Sunny of Kaon.
=0=Cybertron
They stepped out of the bridge and walked to the door that led to the airfield beyond. They would fly all over Cybertron to inspect this and that and give cheer and whatever was needed to The People. They'd just broken 40% repair of all of the planetary damages and more than 375,000,000 individuals had their own homes now. Business was booming as The People began to understand this was possible and it was uplifting everywhere they went.
They were making their way.
=0=Tyger Pax, at home
Sunstreaker walked in and closed the door. Sideswipe and Bluestreak were making lunch. They put his plate and theirs on the table, then everyone sat. "Thanks," he said.
"How was the science fair at Unidad?" Blue asked.
"It was awesome. The kids were great." Sunstreaker clicked his beer bottle against theirs, then took a deep drink. "Whatever kids need, all of them, they get."
"I hear its going to be in the newspapers," Sideswipe said.
Sunstreaker glanced up. "It is?"
"Yep," Sideswipe said with a grin.
"Okay," Sunstreaker said. "I wondered. I know they got my best side, all of them."
They laughed a moment, then Sideswipe glanced at his brother. "Did you refile to run for the School Board?"
"I did. We all did. So did a bunch of slaggers. Former high castes they say," Sunny said darkly. "They want to pack the Board."
"They won't be able to will they?" Blue asked.
"Not if I have a say," Sunstreaker said darkly.
=0=TBC 3-18-2022
saying: wild horses can't keep me away
