Two earth weeks had passed since Breeze Burst had been introduced to the Autobots. It didn't take long for the Autobots to figure out that Breeze Burst was extremely shy. When Optimus tried to introduce her to the other Autobots, by gathering them all into a room, the poor thing began shaking and nearly burst into tears for the fourth time that solar cycle. Since then all the Autobots had made sure to be careful when trying to get to know the little sparkling.

Even the humans scared her. When she met Spike and Spark-plug for the first time, she screamed and ran away from them. She still hasn't really gotten used to seeing them. Prowl reflected on the last two weeks as he sat in his office going over datapads. Prime's orders for watching Breeze being a group effort appeared to have gone out the window because Breeze Burst seemed to only want to be around Prowl.

Everywhere Prowl went, Breeze followed closely only other person she seemed to like being around was Jazz. That wasn't all that surprising, Jazz could make friends with anyone and he was with Prowl when they found her. But she wanted to be around Prowl most of the time. Even when he was working on datapads, Breeze would come in and sit with him. In fact, she at one point mistook Bluestreak for Prowl and proceeded to follow him around for the solar cycle. Bluestreak didn't even realise she was following him until someone pointed it out. When Breeze Burst realised that Bluestreak wasn't Prowl, she made a face that Mirage described as; "Looking as though you kicked her pet." and Bluestreak had to bring the little sparkling to Prowl so she would calm down.

Prowl found this odd, most sparklings were full of energy and loved running around. But Breeze Burst didn't like to make her presence known. That didn't mean she didn't like playing. Prowl had caught a few quick sights of her and Jazz playing little games together with some human toys that Spike had bought for her. But she seemed content with just sitting quietly on Prowl's lap watching him go over datapads. This utterly stumped Prowl. He had no idea why she was so attached to him.

The other Autobots thought it was adorable. Spike had mused that Breeze's habit of following Prowl was akin to a duckling. When Prowl questioned what he meant by that, Spike explained. "When ducklings hatch from their eggs they assume the first thing they see is their mother and they follow it around." Prowl was embarrassed by this comparison. He was no duck.

Breeze was no duckling. Her thinking of Prowl as a parent? That seemed unlikely to him. She just lost her creators, there is no way she thought of him that way. To him at least. But the parallels were there. Breeze followed him everywhere, she came to him when she needed something, she hid behind him when she was scared and she quietly watched him while he worked. Prowl shook his helm, pushing these thoughts out of his processor.

Breeze Burst didn't think of him as a parent. The likely explanation was that since he was the one that got the rock off her and comforted her, she thought of him as the safest mech to go to. Prowl didn't pause his work when he heard the sound of his office door sliding open. He only stopped when he heard the familiar sound of little peds walking around his desk. As he suspected, when he turned and looked down, he was met with the familiar face of Breeze Burst staring up at him.

"Breeze Burst, I thought you were playing with Jazz?" He asked softly. "Was. Wanted to watch you." She then lifted her arms up and proceed to make "grabby-hands" with her little servos. Then that strange feeling came back again. Leaning down Prowl gently picked up Breeze and sat her in his lap. He'd become slightly used to this little routine of theirs. Breeze would go off, play by herself or with Jazz, then she'd come into his office, sit on his lap and watch him work.

Still, he would admit that he found the routine a little strange. "Don't you like playing with Jazz, Breeze?" Prowl looked down at her. "I will be working for a while to solar cycle, don't you think that is boring?" Breeze looked up at Prowl and shook her helm. "Uh-uh, I wike watching you read." She paused and giggled. "You make funny faces when you do!" She pointed up at his face to emphasize her statement.

Prowl frowned. Did he really do that? He did get really immersed in his work, but enough to make faces? That doesn't seem like something he would do. Breeze's giggling snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her and raised an optic range. "What is so funny?" Breeze pointed up at his face again and grinned. "You're making a funny face wight now!" Prowl blinked. Okay, maybe he did make faces when he was concentrating...or thinking. But there was no way he would admit to that.

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"NO I-ugh, nevermind."

Breeze lets out a burst of giggles. Losing an argument to a sparkling...Prowl didn't know whether to be ashamed of that or indifferent. Sighing and shaking his helm, he went back to reading his datapads. Breeze Burst stifled her giggles and silently watched him, occasionally glancing up at him and grinning when he made a funny looking face. Breeze Burst didn't think of him as a parent. In his optics, she thought of him as a friend and he could deal with that

Prowl walked down the hall towards Jazz's quarters. He was looking for Breeze Burst. She didn't come into his office that solar cycle, it had become so routine that her not coming in was jarring and a little worrying. He was getting one of those strange feelings he got occasionally around Breeze. Was she okay? Is she still playing with Jazz? Is she just hiding? Did she take his question from a few Solar cycles ago the wrong way? That last thought was the most worrying. When he asked if she had enjoyed playing with Jazz he wasn't implying that she should stop coming into his office to watch him work and for her to just play with Jazz.

He was only asking because he found it surprising for a sparkling to like silently watching someone work. That wasn't to say that he didn't like having her watch him, quite the opposite actually, he had come to enjoy having the sparkling sit in his lap and watch him as he read datapads. He truly hoped she hadn't taken it the wrong way. Finally he stood in front of his destination, the door to Jazz's quarters. He frowned at the door. What if she was hurt? She could have been playing with Jazz and could've gotten hurt!

'Push those thoughts out of your processor Prowl, just focus on finding Breeze Burst.' If he continued to work himself up like this he would spend so much time worrying that he wouldn't spend enough time actually searching for her. Had Prowl not been the only one that watched after Breeze Burst he wouldn't be this worried. The only other mech that watched after her was Jazz. And Jazz was...Jazz wasn't the most responsible of mechs. Jazz was a mischievous mech and he liked to pull pranks. Jazz could be described as a troublemaker or a full grown youngling.

You know what, scratch that, Prowl was the only one that watched after Breeze Burst. Prowl keyed in his passcode, since he was The Second in Command he had a code that opened all doors, though he only used it for emergencies, and the door slid open. Prowl really didn't know what he was expecting to find, but he didn't expect this...whatever this was. Jazz laid on the ground on his back, an over exaggerated look of fear on his faceplates.

Breeze Burst stood atop his stomach, a blue blanket tied around her neck, laughing and holding a pillow. Sideswipe was also there, oddly enough, on his knees next to Jazz and Breeze, holding a plastic sword in his servo and grinning like a mad-mech. The scene wasn't the strangest thing, oh no, the strangest thing would be what they were sitting under. All around them were various pillows stacked up and strewn about the floor, dozens of blankets covered the tops of the pillows, draping over them, a few chairs were also under the structure, seemingly holding parts of it up.

Prowl just stood there staring at the scene in complete and utter confusion. So many questions ran through his processor. What was this? What was going on? Why was Sideswipe there? Did he and Breeze Burst become friends? If so, when? Why was Jazz on his back? Was he hurt? Why was Breeze Burst standing on top of him? Why was a blanket tied around her neck? But the biggest question he had on his processor was, what the slag was that thing they were sitting under?

When the three bots realized that the door had opened, they all looked up at him. There were a few seconds of silence as the three bots stared at Prowl who, behind his emotionless expression, was attempting to rack his processor to try and comprehend the situation. Finally, Breeze Burst broke the silence. "Hi Pwowl!" The little femme grinned and waved her free servo excitedly at the stunned mech. Prowl finally managed to find his voice and pointed at the structure the three were under. "What?" Jazz immediately pointed his servo at Breeze Burst.

"Ah swear it was the kid's idea, not mine!" That was a very obvious lie. Breeze glared down at Jazz then hit him in the face with the pillow she was holding and crossed her little arms. "Sure Dazz, bwame it on the sparkwing!" Jazz let out an embarrassed little chuckle. Sideswipe chuckled as well, shooting Jazz a smug look. "Wow Jazz, scolded by a sparkling." Jazz made a face at Sideswipe then turned his helm to look back up at Prowl.

"Ya okay Prowler? Ya didn't fry your logic circuits again did ya?" Prowl shook his helm. "You did not answer my question." Jazz and Sideswipe both grinned. "It's a pillow fort!" Prowl simply blinked. "Pillow...fort?" Breeze had gotten off Jazz and he sat up. "Yeah, Pillow fort! Ya know, where you get a bunch-a pillows and blankets and build a fort out of them!" Sideswipe joined in. "It's a human thing, Spike told us about it." Okay, that answered what the structure was, but what were they doing under it?

"And what were you doing?" Breeze Burst smiled up at him. "Pwaying heroes! Dazz is the bad guy, Sides is my sidekick an' I'm the hero!" Oh, now it made sense. They were playing pretend. That made way too much sense. "I see." Breeze looked up at him with an expectant look. "Do you wanna pway with us Pwowl?" Prowl frowned and shook his helm. "I am afraid I cannot, I have a lot of work to do this Solar cycle."

Breeze's face fell and Prowl felt a twinge of guilt. "But if I finish early I will come play with you." That seemed to cheer her up. Sideswipe's optics widened and his jaw dropped. Did Prowl just...? His confusion only heightened as Prowl waved goodbye to Breeze and left the room. Slowly he turned to look down at Jazz. "Who was that and what did he do with Prowl?" Both Jazz and Breeze Burst began to laugh while Sideswipe just stared at them.

Work took longer than he had expected, he didn't need to look outside to know that it was night, he only hoped that Breeze Burst wasn't too upset with him. Quickly walking down the hallway and up to Jazz's door. He once again typed in his passcode and walked in when the door opened. He opened his mouth to explain why it took so long for him to finish his work only to stop when he saw the sight in front of him. He smiled softly. The pillow fort was still up and inside had to be one of the most adorable sights he had ever seen.

Sideswipe was seemingly absent, presumably he had left earlier. Jazz laid on his back, helm hung back on one of the pillows and mouth hung open. He was in recharge. Breeze Burst laid on his chest, the blue blanket was still tied around her neck, snuggled up closely to him. She too was in recharge. Jazz had an arm wrapped around the little Sparkling, keeping her from falling off his chest. Prowl shook his helm and let out a soft chuckle. He took a few pictures with his internal camera. Why waste a good opportunity to take a good picture?

After all, having a photo that he could embarrass Jazz with could be useful. Even Prowl could be a bit mischievous sometimes. Plucking a blanket from the pillow fort, being careful as to not make the fort cave in, he gently placed it over the two recharging bots. He stood back up and looked over the scene again. There was that feeling again. That strange feeling that he seemed to get whenever he was around Breeze Burst. Shaking it off, he turned and walked to the door. He clicked off the lights and cast a glance back at the two, before walking out the door. 'Jazz was like a grown youngling. But that made him a good friend for Breeze Burst.' Prowl mused as he walked down the hallway towards his own quarters._

Prowl sighed in irritation and glared down at the two bots standing in front of him. He knew that it was only a matter of time before Breeze Burst would get herself into trouble. He expected that it would be Sideswipe that would create mischief with her. He didn't expect for it to be Jazz to help her cause trouble or for it to be on this scale.

He honestly shouldn't be surprised. Jazz was a mischievous mech, Breeze Burst was an easily persuaded sparkling, the combo was just asking for trouble. They were in the Rec-Room and the place was covered in feathers. Feathers on the floor, on the chairs, on the tables, the only places that seemed to be absent of feathers were the walls and ceiling.

He almost didn't want to know why they put feathers all over the place. This whole situation wouldn't bother him so much if it weren't for the fact that some of the feathers had gotten stuck in Sideswipe and Ironhide's joints, making them have to go visit a very irate Ratchet so he could remove them. Managing to keep himself from snapping, Prowl calmly stared at the two. "Explain, now."

Jazz flinched at Prowl's sickeningly calm tone and Breeze Burst whimpered. "We were bored and ya knew how we have to throw out a lotta pillows because our helms sometimes rip em' up?" Prowl nodded. "Well, me and Breezy thought it would be funny to take some of the feathers and uh...decorate the Rec-room with em' and ya gotta admit, it was funny!"

Prowl frowned and processed the information. "So, because you two were bored, you took the feathers from ripped up pillows and strew them around the Rec-room and got Ironhide and Sideswipe sent to Ratchet with feathers in their joints?" Jazz rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well...when ya put it like that, it sounds kinda dumb."

Breeze's helm shot up and her optics widened upon hearing about Ironhide and Sideswipe. "We hurt someone!?" Prowl shook his helm. "No, you didn't hurt them. But you did get them sent to the Med-bay to get feathers removed from their joints, which was more than likely uncomfortable." He stated calmly, making Breeze frown and look at the ground in shame. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't mean to hurt anyone! She just thought this would be funny!

"It was Dazz's idea, Pwowl! I didn't mean to hurt anybody!" Breeze Burst didn't want Prowl to be mad at her and it was true, Jazz did come up with the idea. Jazz's helm shot to look down at Breeze.

"Hey! Ya went along with it!"

"But you didn't say we'd hurt anybody!"

"That's 'cause I didn't know we'd hurt anyone!"

"But-!"

"That's it!" Prowl exclaimed, silencing the two guilty bots. He rubbed the sides of his helm to calm himself down before pointing both servos at the corners of the room. "Both of you are going to timeout." Coolant sprang up in Breeze's optics and she obeyed Prowl's orders, walking over to the corner and facing it with a little sniffle. Jazz, on the other hand was very adamant about objecting to the punishment.

"Ah'm a full grown mech!" He yelled, sounding offended at the idea of being put in timeout like a sparkling. Prowl glared darkly at Jazz. With Breeze Burst in the corner, he held back nothing and the look sent a chill down Jazz's back. "Do I look like I care?" He asked once again in that sickeningly calm tone. "No…" His voice wavered a bit. Prowl snapped his fingers and pointed at the corner. "Corner. Now."

Jazz jumped and quickly ran over to the corner. Prowl grabbed a nearby chair, brushed off the feathers and sat down. He kept his optics on the two bots, he had a set time in his helm for them to stand in the corners. Jazz struggled to stay still in the corner, he fidgeted and really wanted to leave. Prowl smirked at the struggling mech and took a picture. The more embarrassing pictures to taunt Jazz with, the better.

Breeze Burst kept her optics firmly on the corner. Coolant was freely rolling down her cheeks. Prowl was mad at her. She didn't want Prowl to be mad at her. She just wanted to do something funny! Prowl kept an optic on his internal clock and after five kliks he decided that Breeze had watched the corner for long enough.

"Breeze Burst, you may come out of the corner now." Breeze didn't need to be told twice. She quietly shuffled out of the corner and up to Prowl, stopping just in front of him. She looked up at him with a pitiful look. "I'm sowwy Pwowl." She sniffled and rubbed her optics. "Pwease don't be mad at me." Prowl leaned down and picked up the sniffling sparkling.

Placing her on his lap, Prowl pulled her into a hug, one of his servos stroking the back of her helm. "I was never mad at you, Breeze Burst. I only sent you to timeout for you to understand that what you and Jazz did was wrong, understand?" Breeze nodded her helm and snuggled closer to Prowl's chest. Prowl looked up and noticed that Jazz had turned around and was smiling at him. "Jazz, you're supposed to be in the corner."

"Wha- but ya let her out of the corner!"

"Yes, but your time is not over yet. Turn around."

Begrudgingly, Jazz turned around and faced the corner once again. He let out a loud groan. "Prowler, this ain't faaaaiiiirrrr! Why do ah gotta stay in the corner longer?" Prowl rolled his optics. "One, because you decided to back talk me. Two, because you are much older than Breeze Burst so you should know better. And three, if you keep talking I will add more kliks to your time, you still have two kliks left." Jazz let out another groan and let his helm bang against the corner.

He would rather be put in the brig then stare at this corner. Prowl chuckled softly at Jazz, if it had this effect on him, then maybe he should use this punishment on him more often. The two kliks passed by slowly and finally Prowl allowed him to leave the corner. "Alright Jazz, you may leave the corner now." Jazz had never been happier to hear something in his life. "Finaaalllllly!" He left the corner and walked up to Prowl.

"Now, what did we learn?" Prowl asked, more to Jazz than Breeze. Jazz pouted. "Not to pull pranks when you're in the base." Prowl glared at him. "Not to cause twouble?" Breeze Burst asked. "Correct, now," Prowl stood

up and sat Breeze Burst back on the floor. "I want both of you to clean up all the feathers out of this room." Jazz opened his mouth to object, only to be cut off by Breeze Burst. "Okie Pwowl!" Prowl didn't give Jazz a chance to object, he simply waved goodbye and left the room without a word. Later that solar cycle, he went to check on the two only to find the Rec-Room completely feather free._

Prowl sat silently in his office, looking over datapads. He heard the familiar sound of the door sliding open. 'It must be that time again.' Prowl thought. He then heard the sound of little peds walking around his desk. He turned and looked down at his little guest, only to be met with Breeze Burst hanging her helm and not looking at him. Frowning, Prowl turned his chair around to face the sparkling.

"Breeze Burst, what is wrong?" Breeze didn't say anything, she just kept her helm down. Then she let out a few little sniffles. Now Prowl was really concerned. Placing a finger under her chin, Prowl lifted her face up to look at him. Breeze's face was wet with coolant and she looked absolutely pitiful. "Breeze, little one, what happened? Why are you crying?" Breeze's little body trembled. "Pwowl...I-I miss Sire an' Carrier."

Oh. Now he understood. Leaning down, Prowl gently picked up Breeze Burst. He pulled her into his chest and began stroking her back. As he expected, she began to sob into his chest. He should have expected this. A sparkling at her age losing their creators would come with many problems, both internal and external.

"I miss em' Pwowl! I want em' back!" Breeze Burst wailed. Prowl felt his spark break at the sound of her little broken voice. She was so young. She didn't deserve to go through this kind of pain. No one did. "I know, little one, I know." He whispered softly. Prowl felt the little sparkling trembling in his arms. He felt really worried now. "Shh, It's okay Breeze. I am here for you."

He slowly rocked the sobbing little sparkling and continued to whisper comforting words to her. A few Kliks passed, eventually Breeze Burst calmed down and just sat contently in Prowl's arms. "Better, little one?" She nodded. "Would you like to stay with me while I work?" Another nod. Turning his chair back around, Prowl picked up one of the datapads and kept an arm around Breeze Burst. Within a few nanokliks Breeze slipped off into recharge. Prowl looked down at her and smiled sadly. The poor thing had been through a lot.

'I hope she does not blame herself for her creator's deaths.' Because it wasn't her fault. Her creators were trying to protect her. If she did blame herself...then he would do everything he could to help her realize that it wasn't true. There is was. That feeling again. He had come to accept this feeling, despite not really knowing what the feeling was. Well, whatever it was he would deal with it. Perhaps it was just him feeling fondness for this little sparkling? He didn't really know...