The Diego Diaries: Zooming (dd7 326)
=0=Around
The crowd at the Diner was the usual evening bunch as Drift and Springer sat down to order. They were not on the schedule for a couple of orns but they were going to ride out anyway. Someone found tagging near Earth2 and they wanted to see it. Hauser and his gang detectives had already photographed and analyzed it, putting it relatively firmly into the camp of the unknown shadow gang that had been in the colony since Christmas Surprise. They believed they immigrated with refugees from Omega Base and were regrouping here after seeking the lay of the land.
Sitting back to relax, Springer grinned at Drift. "What do you think about boys night out? We actually get to tie one on, too."
"I think its great. Someone has to stay sober. Who?" Drift asked. "Not that I plan to get drunk."
"It goes against your code?" Springer asked.
"Maybe." Drift grinned. "Hardie probably. I doubt that Sun and Jack will."
"Those two … we won the family lottery," Springer said as the food arrived. While they were being laid on the table, the heaping plates of their favorite things, Springer received a message.
The waiter walked off to do miracles elsewhere as he leaned closer to Drift. "I'm sending you the squad list." He did.
Drift grinned. "I like. Whose squad is it by the way?"
"Mine," Springer said. "Just don't tell Optimus. Or Ironhide. Or any of them. Let me have a dream."
"A little one? Your dream?" Drift asked with a chuckle.
Springer grinned. "Yeah. Its little and feeble, probably straight up wrong and misguided but its all I have."
Drift stared at him. "You have me."
Springer glanced up, his optics meeting Drift's. "I know," he said with emotional intensity. "Again, I win."
Drift grinned as they dug into their food. It would be a deeply compatible dinner between the two of them before they got up to go to the Stables and the nightly ramble around the colony.
=0=Proteus and Madura with Son
They walked toward the metro and a trip to the Halls of Order. There was a birthday of sorts, the much debated but ultimately agreed upon start of the Knights of Cybertron. A lot of individuals would be there who were around at about that time give or take a vorn or two and many would be the youngsters and families, Knights and acolytes that were there to do homage to those august beings. Star Saber and Dai Atlas were in town as well.
It would be packed out, children and babies would be everywhere and exclaimed over with friendships, the basis of many tenets of their group would be made, strengthened and renewed.
Madura was chatting about this and that project that he and a number of the bonds of Knights were working on, some of them teaching the history of the order and others the art. He was blooming in the new life and he was filled with activities both inside and outside of the home. His agoraphobia was still a slight thing, nervousness in tight groups such as rush hour trains but he left home with their baby to do what he was going to do even as Proteus worked at the Prison with rehabbing prisoners by working on their legal papers while working at the Halls of Order as a 'maintenance engineer'.
Both jobs were a source of pride to him.
As they walked down the steps to the platform below, Madura filled Proteus in on his camping sojourn into the Valley of the Mariner with The Squad. It would fill Proteus with great happiness when he did. They disappeared, all three of them into the early evening crowd.
=0=At a bachelor pad
He glanced around his bachelor apartment, a small but cozy and well appointed place where he lived because he 'wasn't a kid and didn't need to live at home, Ada. BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG! I'll come anytime you need me and I'll help you and Atar to do whatever you need but I'm sort of baching it at the apartment over in Iacon. Just call me and I'll be here … what's for dinner anyway?'
That kind of grown up.
He walked to the wash rack and checked himself in the mirror. He flexed this and that, checking his look carefully. He was going clubbing with Jolt and a couple of younger Autobots that he had shipped out with when the Commander took the relics and ran for it during The Fall. They were going to dance, drink and 'look for action'.
He made a note not to tell his Amma and Appa.
Or his Ada and Atar.
Or General Raptor.
Especially General Raptor.
He would make sure that NOT ROD found out, however.
That guy.
With a jaunt in his step, the hot youngling from Praxus who had an adoring and slightly over protective family, the youngling mech who would be about 19 if he were a human walked to his door, squared his shoulders, then stepped out. He would meet the boys at the Club and they would lay a patch from there.
It was partay time.
=0=At another pad
First Aid sat on the couch watching as Bee did his magic in the kitchen. He wasn't cooking. He was making popcorn with chocolate drizzled all over it. It was a new passion between them, that and binge watching series. They were going on the town tomorrow with the boys and decided to save their thunder for then. Right now, the new series were on and they had a lot to catch up.
Walking to the couch with a tray of drinks and all manner of snacks besides popcorn, Bee sat. "What do you think about the new Transformers series on Netflix? It starts July 30th."
"It looks good. Its set on Cybertron, though I don't recognize the place much. Why do all humans believe our world looks like a truck stop and auto body shop?" First Aid said as he handed Bee the remote.
"I don't know. Maybe they can explain why I'm not only always a mute but that I have a tea kettle helm. I'm not sure about the horns, Aid," Bee said as he turned on the monitor.
"I think you look good no matter what," First Aid said.
Bee grinned. "If you say so."
First Aid glanced at him. "I do."
The screen came up and they logged in. Bee grinned as he pulled up something called The Umbrella Academy. Apparently the second season was coming shortly and they both wanted to see if this was a good series to watch.
It would be.
=0=There
"WHAT THE FRAG! GET IN HERE!"
"ADA! ATAR OW ME! ATAR BAD ME! I GOOD HIM! HE BAD ME!"
Ratchet who was on the floor under the table with Halo, Hero, Prowler and Praxus for reasons they hadn't explained yet grinned as Orion ran in circles around the coffee table. He believed as long as it was between him and Ironhide that no one could catch him. All Ironhide had to do was bend down and grip his little pee pie helm.
"COME HERE, INFANT! TIME FOR A BATH! THE TUB IS FILLED WITH BUBBLES AND BABIES! I'M GOING TO GET YOU!" Ironhide bellowed with a grin.
Sunspot who was standing by the table chuckled. "I'M GOING TO GET YOU!"
Orion slammed on the brakes, glanced at Sunspot with a face almost too full of the possibilities of bliss, then turned to him. "POT COMEDED ME!? POT DO ME ROUND!? I GOIN' HERE AND POT COMEDED ME!?"
Hero glanced up at Sunspot from under the table. "He thinks you're going to chase him. He's very excited."
Ratchet snorted at the play-by-play, then glanced upward at Sunspot. "Get him, baby boy."
Sunspot smiled brilliantly. "I'M GOING TO GET YOU, ORION!"
Orion almost had a seizure at the greatness, then screeched. He ran in place a moment, then headed for the hallway that led to the berth rooms and the wash room beyond. Sunspot was after him and Spot was after Sunspot.
Ironhide watched him go, then grinned at the kids hiding under the table. "You think Ada can save you? I AM IRONHIDE! I CAN GRIP PEEWEES WHEREVER THEY HIDE!"
Earsplitting shrieks greeted that, then Prowler walked to Ironhide dragging his teddy bear. He smiled up at Ironhide, then held up his arms.
Ironhide grinned, then picked him up. Kissing his little helm, he smiled. "You're your own mech, infant. Never change."
Prowler patted his face. "We go to the tub, Atar?"
"We go there. You will, too," Ironhide said as he bent down to look under the table.
That was when two little femmes and a mech stampeded up Ratchet's chassis to grip his face all while shrieking with excitement.
=0=Up there
Little infants bobbed in the round claw foot tub that they bathed in every night. Sojourner, Solus, Miracle and Possibility were covered with bubbles and played with the toys that abounded at bath time. The three little mechs had showered and were working on the last bit of clean up that they had to make before lights out.
Sitting on a chair while Prowl sat on the floor beside the tub, Optimus watched the babies talk to each other and play sweetly. It was a beautiful moment for both of them after the mission, something longed for and peaceful. Footfalls greeted them as the three little mechs and their cat walked in to stand beside the two.
"All is up to snuff?" Prowl asked with a grin.
"It is, Ada," Rambler said. He grinned at the babies. "They love their tub."
"You can use it, too," Prowl said.
"We do." T-Bar smiled brilliantly.
Optimus chuckled. "Maybe you can lend it to me."
"Your ped might fit," Spirit offered as he looked at his father's gigantic foot. "Maybe."
"I wouldn't try," Rambler said with a grin.
"No, I would not try either," Optimus said with a grin.
It would be a very peaceful interlude before bed watching the children pour water over each others helms from their little bath toys.
=0=Elsewhere
"WHAT THE FRAG! WHO GOT INTO THE COW'S FOOD!?"
It was silent in the apartment as Alor and Scout glanced at each other, then Blackjack. Then everyone stared at Scout.
Scout stared at them, then got the most insincerely sincere expression on his face that he could manage. "Not me, Atar."
"Is that so," Blackjack asked as he held up a number of small Wetabix-shaped rolls of cow food. "What about this?"
Scout leaned forward to look at them, then stepped closer to Alor. He stared at his father without a word.
Alor and Blackjack who were laughing loudly off line glanced at him, then each other.
"You didn't do that?" Alor asked.
Scout considered his options, slim to none, then did what all tiny children would do in his place. He lied. Shaking his helm, he looked upward at his father. "No."
It was silent a moment, then Blackjack grinned. "Well, that settles that," he said as he put the little bundles on the counter.
Scout stared at him, then the food balls, then Alor, then Flipper, then his father, then his fingers, his father, his cow …
It would be a hilarious night at the BJ v Al v SCOUT household.
=0=Elsewhere
"Well, we appear to have options," Arcee said as she sat propped up on the berth beside an equally relaxed and comfortable Magnus. "You have boys night out tomorrow and we have a camping extravaganza with The Squad in the Valles on the weekend. What do you think about that?"
"I think you should do what you decide you want to do, Arcee. The Festival is Thursday and that will be a break between the bail hearings."
Arcee laughed. "I think so. I've never been arrested for drunk and disorderly with Prowl. Now Ratchet ..."
"Are you insinuating that you had a life before me?" Magnus asked as he glanced down at her with a grin on his handsome face.
"No," Arcee said loyally. "We both know life started when we bonded."
Magnus grinned as he chose his armor for the video battle that they were having together on the big berth room wall monitor.
"For you," Arcee said.
He glanced at her, then laughed. "You may be right."
Elsewhere, to be continued …
=0=TBC 7-13-2020