Hopefully, I caught all spelling and grammar mistakes, but after staying up till 3 in the morning to finish this I might have missed something
And also to make sure I've got all the disclaimers: Transformers does not belong to me, I'm only borrowing.
This chapter contains mild language, angst, and that should cover it.
flashback
-thinking-
: bond talking:
So here, dear readers is chapter 5
Shock…anger…betrayal…hurt.
Shock from what he just heard. Anger, that Ratchet and Prime had hid this from him. How could they? Prowl was his bondmate! How could Prowl keep this from him? After all the sleepless nights filled with Prowl's pain, fear, and tears, he had been there to care for him. How could Prowl not tell him? They were bonded! He trusted Prowl with everything. All his darkness, the lies, the guilt, all the things he had done in the quiet of night that would make a bot's energon run cold. How could Prowl not tell him?
His spark burned in his chest. It was almost as bad as the pain when he was torn in half. He'd always wanted a child, but he and Prowl had decided to wait until after the war. Now he knew Prowl had a child and it had nothing to do with him.
"Jazz."
When he heard Ratchet calling his name Jazz snapped.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL MEH!" Jazz shouted. "I HAD EV'RY RIGHT TO KNOW! PROWL'S MY BONDMATE, YOU SHOULDA TOLD MEH WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM!"
"WE DIDN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU'RE ACTING RIGHT NOW!" Ratchet yelled back.
Knowing he had to do something before the situation got worse Optimus stepped between his lieutenant and medic.
"Now Jazz," Optimus said soothingly in an attempt to calm the saboteur. "Ratchet and I thought it would be in everyone's best interest if Prowl told you himself."
Jazz opened his mouth to reply, but then his processor began to actually process what Optimus had just said. –Everyone's best interest if Prowl told me himself, huh? We'll see about that- Instead of snapping at Optimus, Jazz turned on his heel and went to the med bay doors.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Ratchet called after him.
"To find Prowl so we can have a chat," replied Jazz.
Optimus sighed as he pinched his nasal ridge between his thumb and forefinger. "This can't end well. An angry Jazz and a soon to be upset Prowl (sigh) and the day has just started. How could it get any worse?" he muttered.
A crackle filled the room as his com link was put on speaker. 'Bumblebee to base; I have spotted a Decepticon and in pursuit. Request assistance.'
Ratchet turned his glare on the Prime. "Goddamn it Prime. You just had to ask, didn't you?"
Prowl sat alone on his berth trying to fight down another wave of nausea. Why was this happening again? He thought he had gotten over this. –Why do I keep seeing him-?
He vented air as he walked down the hall. His armor covered in energon and coolant from his newest 'charge'. He didn't mind the gore, but it was beginning to dry and it made his plating itch. Lucky for him, Megatron valued his interrogation skills enough to reward him with a room with a private wash rack.
The recent interrogation had not gone well. Not well at all. A growl rumbled from deep inside his chest, the Autobot's spark had given out with no reason for doing so, and the Autobot just had to die as soon as he was beginning to get the information he required. Now Soundwave would have to do an autopsy on the body and see if anything could be gained from it before it was broken down into spare parts.
He let another burst of air pass through his vents as he finally entered his quarters and went straight to the wash racks. He had no idea how long he was under the cleanser. He recalled scrubbing the energon and coolant off his armor and then watching it go down the drain. After he was clean he turned off the cleanser and went into the main room of his quarters.
Upon entering the room, he was not put off to see the gleaming white armor of his subordinate lounging about. "I know your mission had better be a success or you're going to pay for your insolence for having your pedes on my furniture, youngling."
The Con in question raised her head and tossed a chip towards him. "It was, Sir. I'm not stupid, you know. I rather put up with Sideways for two millennia than deal with a fragged off you."
As he examined the chip thrown to him, he began to question the younger Con. "The officer in question is dead?"
"Yes."
"No one saw you?"
"Affirmative."
"All the information I told you to retrieve is here?"
The femme lowered her doorwings into a submissive posture. She had no wish to go see the Doctor. She couldn't stand the tiny Decepticon, every time he examined her she would have to fight the urge to squat him like the little bug he was. She could always lie, but she never been able to lie to Barricade and trying would guarantee a trip to the Doctor. Deciding that the truth would be the best policy, she quickly replied, "Well, not exactly. There was a complication."
With an icy tone he replied, "What kind of complication?"
"The Autobot had a suicide code. As soon as I captured him it was activated, so I had to work fast to get what I could out of his processor before his memory banks became corrupted from energy loss," she explained. "However, I was able to download 81.976% of his memory banks before the data was lost or unusable."
He hummed in response. He would have liked a hundred percent, but that would do. She did get the job done and if the Autobot had a suicide code, no one would blame them for poor work, and so that was that.
He moved to a console he had in the room and inserted the chip. As the data was uploading to his personal files he noticed that his creation was still in the room. Usually after a mission she would report to him and then leave to mind her own affairs until she decided to return to her room, which was next to him. A knowing smirk crossed his face as he realized why she was still there. "You ran into Sideways on your way in, didn't you?"
The femme hissed. "You said his fascination with me would end as I was upgraded into my adult body, but it seems to have increased."
He shrugged. "Don't complain to me. If it bothers you so much Sideways could always loose a leg. Besides I don't understand pedophilia.
"Right, because you're into masochism," the femme muttered under her breath.
His wings flew up in anger. "WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" He got up and walked in front of the femme. Her optics flashed in defiance her own sensory panels flaring up. Most of the time when Barricade was angry she would back down, but not this time. She was sick of Blackout and was putting her foot down on the matter.
"I said what is that supposed to mean, youngling," he snarled, voice dangerously low.
"Nothing, Sir. Just stating that you shouldn't be a gambling mech is all," she replied, not even flinching when clawed digits began to sink into her throat.
–Everyone's best interest if Prowl told me himself, huh? We'll see about that-
Prowl jerked out of the memory as he felt Jazz through the bond. He felt waves of anger, hurt and betrayal. He began to worry over what could have gotten Jazz so worked up. Jazz was usually an easy going mech by nature if he was this upset it had to be serious.
Fighting off another wave nausea, Prowl waited for his mate. After a few moments Jazz burst into the room. Prowl shuttered his optics as he was bombarded by the intensity of Jazz's emotions as they flowed across the bond. –Why didn't I notice it sooner?-
Prowl opened his optics when he felt Jazz's presence next to him. He looked up to see his mate standing before him. Tension filled the room as the two mechs stood there staring at each other. There was a soft click as Jazz retracted his visor, anguish clearly showing in his optics.
"Why, Prowl?" Jazz whispered. : Why didn't you tell me? After everythin' that's happened, why didn't ya say somethin'? :
Prowl considered his answer carefully. He could tell that Jazz was doing his best to remain calm, but inside he was seething. One wrong word and he would explode into an endless tirade. But what could he say, how could he tell Jazz? –Admit you were wrong and accept it- No. HE was not Barricade. "I'm not him. Whatever he did is his business."
"Whatever he did is his business," Jazz repeated, his tone held an edge to it. "That's all ya have ta say about this? That it's not your business!"
Prowl sighed when Jazz yelled. He tried to send pulses of reassurance to Jazz, but Jazz just sent anger in his direction. Prowl then realized he really put his foot in his mouth by saying that. "Jazz…"
"How can ya say that? 'Course it's your business! Prowl, ya have a child, ya can't deny that!"
Prowl felt the frustration and anger that had been building slowly finally explode. He had this conversation with Ratchet countless times. Each session the same as the last: he must accept that he was Barricade and everything that went with it.
He left the med bay this morning because it was the same conversation with Ratchet as the images began to flash in his head again. He was sick of it. Sick of the flashbacks, the sleepless nights, arguing with Ratchet, everything. He'd be damned if he had to have this argument with Jazz. He was NOT Barricade! The child wasn't his!
–It is yours-
"IT'S NOT MINE! I'M NOT BARRICADE!"
"I NEVER SAID YOU WERE!" Jazz yelled back. "THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A CREATOR! YOU CAN DENY IT ALL YA LIKE, BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING! YOU LIED TO ME, PROWL!"
Prowl just stared at Jazz. He lied to Jazz? About what? Then he realized that the reason Jazz was angry was because he was hurt. He felt betrayed that he didn't tell him about Barricade.
"Jazz I…" Prowl was cut off as Jazz's com link began to beep.
Jazz sighed as he answered the com. Now was not the time and his mood became worse, when he found Prime waiting on the other end waiting for him. "Jazz here."
'Jazz, I know now isn't the best time, but we just received a message from Bumblebee. He's run into Decepticons and is requesting assistance.'
Jazz's optics widened all his previous anger morphed into concern for Bee. He knew Bumblebee would leave base to go driving alone, but he never thought Bee would get caught by Cons. "How many?"
'We're not sure. Ironhide and Arcee are still with Lennox. So only three of us are staying behind, while the others go to Bumblebee.'
"Who's stayin' behind?"
'Prowl, Ratchet, and Jolt.'
"Alright Optimus, I'll be there in a sec."
Jazz turned off his com to Optimus to see Prowl staring at him with worry in his optics. Jazz lowered his visor and answered Prowl's unspoken question as he headed towards the door. "Bumblebee ran into Cons and needs help."
With one last glance over his shoulder before the door closed, Jazz looked Prowl in the optics and said, "We'll finish this when I come back."
Prowl didn't get a chance to reply, because Jazz was already out the door and running down the hall, and no one was there to see Prowl as he broke down and cried.
In case anyone wants to know who the Doctor is, remember that tiny little Decepticon in ROTF that put the Allspark shard into Megatron and scanned Sam's brain? Well that's him.
Review please.