The Diego Diaries: Home Again (dd8 448)

Only half of this is edited. I will correct it today when I get near a wifi. :D:D:D

=0=Home again

They settled before the monitor in their chairs while Tell played on the floor with his little truck collection. That it was made up entirely of relatives including themselves was incidental.

"Its nice to have a routine again," Drift said. He grinned. "I can't believe I just said that."

"I hear ya. I could only do this overnight stuff because Ravel and Tie are taking care of Tell," Springer replied as he chuckled at Tell's baby noises signifying auto sounds. "Cute."

Drift leaned forward to nudge several of the cars back to Tell who smiled a brilliant smile upward toward his old dad. "I think so. Cutest kid ever."

"We're due for the three decaorn progress report," Springer said. Amma said Tell would be great. I can't tell you how much better I feel about that."

"Have you ever considered how off the wall our family here is?" Drift asked. "We have Praxian Elites, musicians and play writers, doctors, artists, road rage gangsters, the most elite weapons makers ever … I feel like I'm letting the team down."

Springer chuckled. "You forgot Prowl. We have Prowl."

Drift grinned. "There's that and the twins. The femme team. Maelstrom."

Springer chuckled again. "You're right. We are weird aren't we."

Drift grinned. "Exempt mechs, too. The spark that lit the first revolution in Delphi. Hercy. He can call Kup infant."

"Amazing. I like my life," Springer replied.

Drift nodded then both slid down to the floor to play cars and trucks with their son.

=0=Elsewhere

"ATAR!"

"What?"

"You doin'?" Orion asked.

"Slag yeah," Ironhide replied as he snapped his set of Legos into a rather complicated building design.

Orion had paused in his effort, a shapeless mound rather like a ruined pyramid. "I doin', too."

They all were. Pulling out the masses and buckets of Legos that were kept in Halo's closet, everyone in the family big and little were making their "doin'".

The trio of big boys, all of them discussing with this or that tiny kid how to best do whatever it was they were thinking were also making one big project, a base rather like Metroplex in battle format when he was in city-mode.

Halo leaned against Fireball as she grinned at everyone. Her house was a scatter of bricks on a little platform. It was obvious she was going nowhere.

Sunspot on the other hand was making a rather good version of Spot. Spot was snoozing on the floor next to the little doppelganger of himself. Sitting beside him watching everyone, the tiny dog robot, Mr. Boo, that Sunny had rescued during a game was also involved.

As much as a little non-sentient dog-let could be.

Ratchet whose natural competitive streak had emerged full blast was creating a huge Lego structure of his block in The Jumble. It was as ragged as the place was, something he was manufacturing pieces himself to create.

"Its called cheating, Ratchet," Ironhide had said when he noted bent trash cans and other things being inserted into the platform.

"No, loser. Its called realism," Ratchet had replied to everyone's laughing agreement but for Halo.

Halo had laughed but still hugged Ironhide. "You doin'?" she'd asked.

"I doin'," he's replied. "Your old ada is a slagger."

No one bothered to agree. They just laughed at old pa getting the short end again.

Life in the Bosom of Love™ would be even more extremely pleasant when the pizza arrived.

=0=Elsewhere

Dinner was great as they sat in the restaurant that they favored in their town, Iacon. Corsair and Amaldo along with Elita, Jetta and Mack were having the dinner catch up that they always had to ensure that their genitors were getting along safely. Mack's bond was taking a short term night course that only met on this orn and the kids were with Delphi and Hard Drive for 'Extended Family's Children's Date Night With The Family'.

"What's it like working for Docker?" Mack asked as they waited for dessert.

"It's wonderful," Corsair replied. "I love it. We get to help so much and Docker has had me sit in on committees while she gets her family settled."

"One of them is a Seer, apparently Old Clan," Amaldo replied. "I'm going to interview them as soon as they're up to it."

"Your last column was very good, Atar," Jetta said. "Thanks for helping me explain to the humans how important it is for everyone to have opportunity including housing. Its a real problem there and you being syndicated there in the media is a real boost for change."

"I know," Amaldo said. "It was awful on Cybertron. If we can share our experiences and solutions then maybe they can do the same for their people. I couldn't live anywhere again that wasn't a cashless society. The inequity would keep me out of recharge."

Everyone murmured agreement.

"Mystic told Springer and Drift that Tell will recover from deafness and function fully," Elita said. "Mystic is a really sweet mech I'm told. I haven't seen them yet but I will. They were moved to Stage 2 housing at Central Point just today."

"That's wonderful. Do they think they can live in the city or will they live there?" Corsair asked. "I think Kes told me that they're holding an apartment two doors down from Ravel for just that moment."

"Its still up in the air. They had a very hard time and Appa Ratchet is just broken sticks after seeing them again over all this time," Elita replied.

"Were they trafficked?" Corsair asked with a tight voice.

Everyone glanced at him.

Jetta took his ada's servo. "We don't need to talk about this now, Ada. One orn at a time."

"They were trafficked," Corsair repeated. He stared at Amaldo who looked grim. "So were we."

=0=In a conference room at Ops Center

Corsair sat tensely as he held Amaldo's servo. There were mechs coming including Ratchet, Paragon who held the brief for trafficking at the Prime's Review, several counselors including their private one, Porous and Prowl. When everyone was there, the door closed.

Then it opened again as Eugenie and Har-Lee, Watch Director of Special Investigations and the police link to the Committee for War Crimes and Investigations entered along with Jarro and Bistro, a femme who handled trafficked individuals. Eugenie and Har-Lee had been at dinner together when the call came that perhaps something had happened that would help them with the vast and terrible crime of trafficking.

Everyone settled.

Porous turned toward Corsair and Amaldo as Jetta, sick with pain paced behind him. Porous glanced at him. "Please. Jetta. Sit and lets do this gently."

Jetta froze, then slid into a chair next to Elita. She slid her arm around him and it was silent again.

"Corsair, I hear that you made mention of something very important to you and Amaldo getting better. I was hoping we could very gently look at this. Its important for you to know how much both of you are loved."

The door opened as Kestrel, Tagg and Prime stepped inside.

"Would you like us to wait outside, Corie?" Kestrel asked his best friend.

Corsair looked at the three. "Please stay."

Amaldo nodded.

They found a seat, then it was silent and still again.

"Corsair, you mentioned that you were part of a trafficking scheme when news about Mystic and Budge came up," Porous asked softly. "I would like to know if you can elaborate more or if this is something we can discuss through our sessions."

Corsair looked at him. "We have to talk now. Two more of our people have come here from this. We can't be silent anymore, Porous."

"Alright. We're going to sit here and you can tell us what you know, both of you if you wish, and we'll just listen. There's no judgment here. Only love, protection and a terrible desire to help both of you."

Corsair considered that, then glanced at everyone, all of them filled with emotions and love for the two of them. The oldest best friends of their life were here with their remarkable son. Perhaps they would get justice not just for them but for others. "We were trafficked. The mechs we saw, the ones who were arrested were part of it. They trafficked us when they raided our little settlement. I don't know if its still going on but it has to stop." He looked at Ratchet. "I hear your appa and abi were sold so long ago they lost their youth in slavery."

Ratchet nodded. "They did. Its a miracle that they were found. Did this happen to you? The more you can say, if you can, the more we can do. But know, Corsair, its a process doing this. If it takes a bit of time we understand and no one, no one ever judges."

He nodded. He glanced at Amaldo who had slid his arm around Corsair. "You were so brave. You fought them, Amaldo. You were my hero but there was no way to win. They came in, rounded us up and took us away. We had control devices placed on us. We were held at a camp to work for minerals that other species needed. We made them wealthy. More and more came. We were all terrorized. The orn the Knights came was my rebirth."

Amaldo nodded. "We lived in fear and punishment so long that just seeing them here made me panic like I've never panicked before. I just had to save Corie. I could've killed them. I dreamed of it but when they were there I couldn't hardly move."

"I could just die," Jetta said with an agonized tone. "You are going to be safe forever. Mack and me, we're going to protect you forever. Elita and the squad, all of us …" Jetta trailed off in his agonized pain as Elita squeezed his shoulders.

"You can say whatever you need and want to say, both of you. Just know that they can't reached you. They'd have to step through us and even Megatron couldn't do that," Elita said.

"We know, infants," Amaldo said. "We love you for it but we have to help you with this. All of us. Maybe even Mystic can figure out where everyone is. We have to find everyone. Its the only thing that will make me learn to live with this. All that time and all that rage. I couldn't stop a thing then. Maybe we can now."

"I want that, Jetta. We taught you boys to be brave. You are. You were part of the revolution and we know you were punished, Jetta, for trying to help our people. We have to do that now no matter how much it hurts. Others depend upon us," Corsair said with a firm tone in his soft voice.

"We will help you, Corie," Kestrel said as he squeezed Corsair's servo. "Tagg and I, our son, Prowl … all of us. We will help you do this."

Corsair glanced at Kestrel, then the others. "I would like that. I love you all so much. This will help us. I think the worst part of this was not being free to do that. Now all I want is revenge. Revenge for me and everyone else who they harmed."

Porous nodded. "We can work this out. We can do this without harming you, either of you. Our goal is saving everyone."

Corsair nodded. "In the end, if they have to stand for this, we get all that we need."

=0=Round up

They gathered in the lobby of the tower where three of the alleged traffickers lived. Springer, Drift, Hercy and the usual gang, Eugenie, Barron, Prime, Ratchet and Prowl were there to assist in this arrest which could break open the entire trafficking apparatus that had been in place since the Golden Age.

Prime looked grim as he considered the plan, then nodded to Springer. "Get them," he said.

The elevators opened, then they stepped in. Prime watched them go with the coldest fury he'd felt in a long time.

=0=TBC 6-2-2022 edited 6-3-2022

jharker31: You're very welcome. :D:D:D

Jackalkat chapter 442 . May 27

Fingers crossed some of those cons find family. Heartbreaking. Also the no ships thing was a riot.

Long COVID stinks. I hope you feel better soon.

ME: I hate that some had to do what they did when they were just normal kids and people. We're going to keep coming back to them and others because if they can't find someone in this crowd they will later. Its almost statistically impossible not to. HUGS! Covid does doesn't it. Be careful out there.

Jil Dunne chapter 442 . May 26

hope you are feeling better . pandora

ME: It comes and goes. LOL! I have the bad cold variety, Omnicron. Fortunately. My brother had Delta and nearly dropped dead. I wish the best for everyone out there. HUGS, Jil.

kattenbelletje chapter 441 . May 27

I had independence day vibes during the fly over. It was awesome. I'm glad I'm not Jayco.

ME: BWAHAHAHA! Now that you mention it. LOL! My influences appear to be showing. :D:D:D I just ADORE the big frames. Jayco is like Motormaster, unable to change his spots. HUGS, darling!

Lao Tzu, a famous Chinese philosopher once said, "When you choose the pursuit of revenge, first dig two graves." How true that is.

:D:D:D: