The Diego Diaries: Cloudy With a Slight Chance of Sun (dd7 379)

=0=Embassy

They walked through the Embassy pointing out the features and describing how the place was before the strike and obliteration. The room that had been their school still was and it was fitted out for kids to learn of all ages just in case some had to come with their genitors who worked here. It was a mellower and more comfortable group that took the tour. By the time they went back to Mars it was getting on time when children were coming home from school.

=0=Mars

They stood on the sidewalk meeting children as they got out of buses and cabs. It was pretty thrillingly happy as they gathered them up. It was a short trip home and a noisy moment of mayhem before the kids were satisfied that all was well. Galloping off to their toy boxes, the little mites were gone swiftly.

The big kids, Genesis, Quasar and Fireball sat down on couches as Ironhide made his way to his own chair. He sat down heavily.

"Where did you go today, Atar?" Fireball asked.

"We went to Diego Garcia and swam in the ocean," Ironhide said to the three big kids that he didn't know he had. Six others were somewhere but he forgot where that was.

"I like doing that. Remember when you used to take us there when Ada wasn't looking?" Quasar said with a chuckle. "We had so much fun. The humans like to look at us and take pictures."

"They find you as handsome as we do," Ratchet said as he put the covered dishes that were going to be dinner into the ovens after taking them from the refrigerator. They slid in and he set the timer. Walking over to sit, he grinned at his kids. "How's your love life going?" he asked with a giant smile.

They grinned, then stood as one. "See ya," Genesis said as the three fled to their end of the house.

Ironhide and Ratchet watched them go, then glanced at each other. Ironhide grinned. "You sure know how to clear a room."

Ratchet dazzled him with a smile. "It's part of my charm."

Ironhide snorted as he drank in Ratchet's beauty. :I can think of other charming things as well:

:I bet you can: Ratchet said through his smile.

"I think its the least you can do after that swim," Ironhide said as he relaxed into his chair.

"Tell me, online or off … you ever faced with anyone?" Ratchet asked.

Ironhide frowned at him. :What do you mean? I'm a soldier:

"For how long?" Ratchet asked.

Ironhide considered the smirking mech smirking at him with considerable angst and no little unease. His list wasn't long. Much. Sorta. Even though he looked younger than the mech he truly was, it was difficult to peg him correctly. He stared at Ratchet with a frown.

"Okay. New question. How long have you been out of the Academy? How much facing did you do when you were there, how many before attending and rate them from 1-5 with 5 being great though much, much lesser than me."

Ironhide stared at Ratchet for a moment, then grinned slightly. "You're a nasty slagger aren't ya."

"All my mechs say so. So … given that I'm a 249 on a scale of 1-5, tell me about your other mechs. You may use the 1-5 scale by the way." Ratchet grinned at him waiting for the kid sitting next to him to figure out some snappy repartee.

"You're a 249?" he asked.

"Conservatively speaking," Ratchet said.

Then the oven pinged.

Fortunately for Ironhide.

Ratchet rose because it was his job this vorn and began to get the food ready. Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. "Table, slagger."

Ironhide glanced at it then grinned. "It is isn't it."

Ratchet frizbeed him a plate to the helm. It was instructive how fast Ironhide caught it before it could clip his helm completely off.

=0=Upstairs

Orion Pax stacked plates in the cupboard. Dinner had been amazing and the comfort level between the two had been made infinitely easier after the fun and games at Diego. The children made the evening memorable for him and he was getting used to the routine of evening running up to bed time. After finishing up his half of the dinner wash up, he walked out to sit in his chair with his children ringed around him. They were telling him 'important stuff'.

"I maked cookies, Atar. You can't eat them," Solus said to him. She was standing in a half circle with the others around his chair filling him in on the nuances of school.

"Why can you not eat them, Solus?" he asked as he studied her tiny frame and elegant beauty.

"They're made of clay," Solus said. Then she smiled brilliantly.

Sojourner silently nodded in agreement.

Orion leaned closer to her. "You are a clever little femme then?"

She smiled and nodded, pleased as peas for his compliment. "I do. I am."

Orion grinned, then caressed her tiny face with a huge digit. "I can see that."

"Atar?"

He glanced at his son. "Miracle?"

"Do you like cookies? I like cookies."

Orion grinned. Children were enchanting and that these were his was still astonishing to him. "I like cookies."

"I can make you some?" Solus asked as she glanced at Prowl who had joined them in his own chair. "Ada? I make some?"

"We have some, Solus. We can have one at bed time," Prowl said.

That went over extremely well.

"Atar?"

Prime looked at another son. He had five of them, something that was almost too much to take in. "Possibility?"

"I like cookies." Possibility smiled brilliantly.

Orion chuckled. "We have consensus then."

"Atar … Posey loves cookies. I give him mine," Sojourner said. "I let him have mine."

'Posey' grinned at him, then walked to his sister to hug her. They hugged tightly, then turned to Orion. "I LOVE COOKIES!" Possibility said with great happiness.

Prowl and Orion glanced at each other, then the three older mechs sitting on a couch nearby enjoying the floor show. Sparklings were terribly cute overall. Prowl grinned at them. "I think cookies are in order. Would you three do the honors?"

"We're on it, Ada," Rambler said as he got down with his brothers. They ran for the kitchen.

Solus watched them go, then smiled. "I'LL HELP YOU!" she said, then began to run.

The other four watched her go, then began to run after her. It would take some of them a while to get there. It would be hugely entertaining to Prowl and Orion while they did.

=0=Raptor

He had finished up his work left over from the orn, then walked out to sit with Turbine. He glanced at his bond. "Anything stirring from the Pantheon? Any further news that our little mech and Prime are going to be in short pants for a while?"

"Nothing more. Solomus concluded that this is something they chose themselves and when its over the problem will disappear. Fortunately, the cloud doesn't move fast at all," Turbine said.

It was quiet a moment, then Raptor grinned. "I wonder what Ironhide is doing right now?"

=0=Ironhide

He swaggered into the berth room with more outward nerve than he felt inwardly. Ratchet was sitting on the berth checking the mail after they'd both wrangled the kids to bed. He stared at Ratchet feeling his resolve dissolve immediately.

Ratchet glanced up. "I saw your note. I'm getting it framed."

Ironhide grinned. "So …?"

Ratchet tossed the data device onto a chair next to the berth, then lay back and patted the berth beside him. "Come on in, big boy. Your mama said its okay."

Ironhide snorted, then laughed loudly. Hitting the lights, he walked over to sit. "Frag my mama," he said as a strong grip grabbed him and yanked him down.

A tussle occurred a moment, then Ironhide stared upward into Ratchet's blue optics as he pinned the big galoot onto the berth. "Hi, Ironhide. Ready to rumble?"

Ironhide grinned. "I was born read-" he began before he found himself struggling against a force of nature.

Sometimes life was good and then there were moments like this.

=0=Upstairs

They lay on the berth together forgoing the evening ritual of the balcony after dark. They had achieved breakthrough at Diego especially when it was them against Ratchet and Ironhide. The children had been feted, put to bed, then they retired here. Prowl had fussed, then lay down enfolding himself into Prime. He held Prowl and it felt good.

Better than good.

At last.

He glanced at Prowl for a moment.

[I have to finish this tomorrow morning. I've fallen asleep two or three times getting this far. Hugs and goodnight If you read this before its finished pick up where you leave off. I'm going to finish and re-post it again in the morning.] Good night.

=0=TBC 9-14-2020

NOTE: In some places children wear shorts or short pants until they get a certain age. In Victorian times boys were dressed as girls, with long hair, dresses and shoes until they reached school age about seven. It was easier to toilet train boys in dresses and no one considered it odd. Gender distinctions didn't extend to children. It was also easier to get them in and out of the bathroom this way. :D