The Diego Diaries: Home (dd7 222)
=0=A bit later on
"HI, HONEY! I'M HO-!"
"ADA!" Every little kid in the room froze in place, then exhaled their angst as one.
=0=Moments later
Ratchet sat in his chair with five little kids perched there. Along with them after a bit of tussle and hopping around, a dog, a cat and a cow joined them. Ratchet glanced at nine, count them, nine titanic kids who sat on couches across the vast room staring at him with grins. "Why don't you hop on, too. You know you wanna."
Huge laughter and agreement greeted that as Ironhide sat in his chair basking in the fun. The trees were still up along with decorations, a hold over for their sake from the family and all was well. There was more art on the fridge, the write-a-note board was covered with things and their personal email boxes were overflowing.
It was a typical end of mission venture.
"How is the Prime, Ada?" Saber asked. "We all saw the films. I thought I would cry when he was blown off his peds."
"That's because you're that side of awesome, infant," Ratchet said. "He's good to go. Tomorrow I'll restore his hearing again. Until then, that's classified. Other than his hearing and a few dings, he's going to be fine. You should see my files of Prime getting all blowed up over the vorns."
"I don't think I can, Ada," Lumi said. "We're spark bound to help and save him."
Ratchet grinned. "And in a perfect world all that would mean is going to school and living a happy life."
"We do," Fireball said with a smile. "We won the last three races in track against the other big bot team. I like running. I'm the longest distance competitor on it."
"I'll have to see it," Ratchet said as Ironhide nodded. "Orion and the infants here helped inaugurate the Race Track by participating in foot races on opening orn."
"I bet that was cute," Santee said.
"It was. So were the fights he got into on the way to the finish line," Ratchet said with a chuckle.
The big kids stared at him, then Orion.
Orion startled that everyone was looking at him smiled his usual cheese eating smile when he wasn't sure what was going on. It was adorable.
"Orion," Halo said as she stared at her brother. "Why lou?"
Orion glanced around, then smiled at her. "Hay-Ho, good you. I good you? You good?"
She smiled at him. "I good, Orion. Lou good?"
He smiled, then patted her. "I, Orion good. Good me. I good me. I good you. We good."
Ratchet suppressed the urge to howl with laughter. He loved it when Orion 'gooded' everyone including himself. Halo was following in the vocal path of her brother. "I'm glad. I'd hate it if you didn't good each other. Amirite?" he asked with a giant smile.
"You are, Ada," Hero said with a smile. "Right, Yoda?"
Everyone looked at the tiny doll who was staring around with his big dark eyes and his cute little face. He raised his ears slightly, then nodded.
"See?" Hero said as she hugged him tightly.
"Everyone goods everyone," Ironhide said with a chuckle. "I thought I saw some Celebration cake in the fridge. What about having cake and ice cream?"
Everyone was down for it.
Then Ironhide glanced at Ratchet. "WE NEED EATS, OLD MECH! GET ON IT!"
Ironhide barely caught the dog and cat but couldn't catch the cow in time. It smacked his face, then landed on the cat and dog. For a moment a fight occurred, then everyone settled to stare at Ratchet with angst, then Ironhide with irritation. Ironhide looked at them. "WHAT!?"
Moments later …
Infants sat at the table eating cake and ice cream in little bowls. The others sat around the room spooning in HUGE portions of cake and ice cream as they relaxed back into a normal life.
"What now, Ada? We saw Amma. He's feeling a lot better and will be back at Caminus in a couple of orns," Quadrus said. "What happens next? Those two planets and the mechs who mistreated everyone … what happens now?"
"Well, Clipper is going to be up and at 'em shortly. He was shorted out mostly. I'm going to bring the others to sentience at 1000 on the TMC tomorrow when the electrical portions are restored. That won't be hard. They're nearly there now. The two planets are part of our empire and we'll take care of them. It might be a place for some to live once we figure out everything. They're both a dry run for Cybertron and the local group."
"I hope they get Cybertron soon. I worry about them not having a place," Quasar said. "I want them to have sunshine, too. It might help make things easier for everyone if they do."
"I do, too, infant," Ironhide said. "I remember when I was a kid at the seashore, looking up at a blue sky with fluffy clouds."
"I never went to the seashore." -Ratchet aka R
(frown) "You're not going to do that again are ya?" -Ironhide aka IH
(grin) "What? Tell you about that? I never went to the seashore. I don't think I ever saw clouds either. The sky wasn't exactly blue where I lived." -R
Nine titanic kids grinned as they listened.
"The sky was blue everywhere and there were clouds over Iacon. Mech, you have a screw loose." -IH
"I wonder what going to the seashore was like." -R
IH frowned at R, then grinned. "Frag you, Ratchet."
"Why, Ironhide … you lose when you bring up The Sexy, especially in front of impressionable processors." -R
Nine titanic kids snickered.
"I'm glad you're home." -Nine titanic kids.
=0=That night…
They tucked in kids, a green baby and tiny robotic dog, Mr. Boo, then walked through the berth rooms again to re-tuck, re-hug and reassure everyone. By the time they reached their berth room they were tuckered.
Ratchet flopped down on the berth. "This feels good."
"I hear ya," Ironhide said as he lay down, too.
"Tomorrow, I have to oversee the operation for Prime's audials because I'm his primary care physician and because the Charter demands it." He grinned, then glanced at Ironhide. "I'm in the Charter and Convocation documents. How's that for me, ba-bee?"
"I won't tell anyone," Ironhide said with a grin. "When is it?"
"Noon," Ratchet said. "The techs have to do this and that thing. Then he goes in. It's going to be like the twinnies. Sounds will be too loud. Everyone has to sign for three or so orns, then he's going to be calibrated and brought up to speed. I have to check the replacement parts and the like. Lissie is out tomorrow. I'll check her out myself. Let me see … oh, and I have to bring the titans back."
"Easy duty, I see," Ironhide said.
Ratchet nodded. "Typical orn."
They grinned at the same time.
"Good night, Ratchet."
"Good night, Ironhide."
"Good night, Sunspot and Yoda."
"Good night, Atar."
"Good night, infants."
"Good night, Ada. Yoda says good night to both of you."
[Silence]
"It was nice of Hero to let you recharge with Yoda," Ratchet said as he peered down at the two laying in the ravine between Ironhide and himself.
Sunspot smiled. "Hero is nice."
"She is. Good night, son." Ratchet grinned at Ironhide who grinned back.
It was.
A good night.
=0=Morning the next orn
Genitors sat around the room catching up. Appa Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. "I'll get the decorations boxed up, Ironhide, if you want me to. I don't have to go to school today."
"I'll help you, Ratch. I don't either," Ironhide said with a chuckle.
"LINE UP! THE BUSES AND CABS ARE COMING!" Ratchet said as everyone swarmed around like a flight of locusts.
It took a bit of time to get the herd going including an actual cow but they made it to the street in jig time. Standing there with his infants was Prowl who was ignoring a number of reporters standing nearby trying to get his attention. Fortunately, they were tiny little humans and he was tall.
"Well, don't you look like slag," Ratchet said as he paused beside the winger. "When are you speaking to The People?"
"After I talk to Optimus this morning. Jazz has gathered the intel and I'm going to fashion a short statement, then take a few questions. I'm also going to state that Optimus will talk to the empire in detail when he's up and around. I'm unconcerned about the humans in this equation. We can deal with them as it comes. Right now, getting back on track and getting Optimus up and on his peds comes first. What about the titans?"
"I'm going to feed the code shortly. I think all will be well. I have a message crafted into the code explaining things so it'll only take minutes to accomplish. We have to build a defense against that. The slaggers have met the titan challenge and defeated it in that short of an amount of time," Ratchet said as Prowl nodded.
Ratchet walked the shorties to their rides, a bus that would take Orion and Praxus to Terra and a cab that would drive Hero to Metrotitan and the Pioneer School. Prowler had already left with Amma Ravel and Appa Tie because his Prep School was on the top floor of the building where their shop was located.
Win-win.
Ratchet turned to Ironhide who was laughing with his father as he held the leash to his own cow. Robby was booping noses with Pudding as they waited to go somewhere with the big galoots. "Where is Halo?"
Ironhide patted his hold. "Right here, slagger, where she belongs. See ya," he said as he began to walk away to Metro 1 and the office down below.
Blackjack with his cow followed. He had the orn off and they were going to ride the trains.
"Cowboys, both of them," Ratchet said with a big smile.
"I can see that," Delphi said with a chuckle. "We're heading out. Anything we need to know?"
"Nope," Ratchet said as the rest of Ironhide's elders walked onward to The Fortress and the bridge to Cybertron located there.
Prowl watched them, then patted his hold. "Possibility and I are going to see Optimus, then go to work. Noon?"
Ratchet nodded as he glanced around at the crowds passing by. "I'll be supervising them when they do the fittings. I, RATCHET OF THE MAGIC HANDS! THESE BLESSED SERVOS WILL DO THE LAYING ON AND THE HEALINGS UPON THE CHASSIS OF THE MOST HIGH! I, RATCH-"
A cuff to the back of the helm took care of the crazy though the crowd heading this way and that laughed and clapped.
Ratchet watched Prowl walk onward to the Medical Center with a smirk on his face. He grinned, then walked to the doorway of Metroplex to enter and bring him out of his slumber. He would by doing so wake up the others as well.
Moments later …
Metroplex in pretender format sat on the command seat on his command deck. He looked hungover which in his own way he was. He looked upward at Ratchet. "That was … unpleasant."
Ratchet grinned as he got pings back from the others involved. "You have a way with understatement. Are you sure you aren't British?"
Metroplex grinned. "Maybe."
"How do you feel?" Ratchet asked as the other's telemetry reached him. They were checking out alright and there were no hitches at their end. The note had made a difference.
"Like I was hit on the helm by Menasor," Metroplex replied. "Thank you, Ratchet."
"My pleasure. How many times do I get to help good looking mechs feel better?" Ratchet replied.
"A lot?" Metroplex asked as his symbiont, Scamper walked in holding his helm.
"Hang on, both of you," Ratchet said as he continued to type furiously on the environmental console computer. Then he hit send.
For a moment both mechs sat frozen in place, then they relaxed. It was silent a moment, then they glanced at Ratchet.
"I feel good," Scamper said.
"That's because I AM RATCHET! I LAY SERVOS ON AND NAY! VERILY I HEAL ALL THINGS! Why the other night in the berth, I said to Ironhide-"
The rest was drowned out by their laughter.
=0=Seconds later
He walked out of Metroplex after running checks on everyone involved. They were spinning like tops. He grinned as he headed for the hospital to begin prep work on Optimus.
/ … my work here is done … /
Ratchet walked into the crowded streets and disappeared from view. It was good to be home again.
=0=TBC 2-3-2020 4-1-2020
Sorry about the delay. Snow. Family. That moose on my front deck eating the cat food out of the container. Like that. (Truly.) HUGS!