I know I said there'd be Optimus and Ironhide stuff in this chapter at the ending of the prior chapter. However, I came up with some awesomely funny stuff (I hope) that made this scene longer than planned. Please, enjoy. The next chapter will be Optimus and Ironhide's reactions to meeting each other.
a/n: (italics) in parenthesis are sparkling sounds
Also, I want to thank everyone for their reviews and for enjoying the story. I humbly thank you all.
Still in Wheeljack's lab…unbelievable isn't it!
The femme was fuming…literally. Ratchet, with his medical sensors, could detect the sharp increase of Chromia's core temperature. Magnus recognized the deathly glare in her optics, having been on the bad side a femme before and getting kicked in the groin and slapped across the faceplates for it. Prowl just expected it; better to be safe then sorry.
"HOW COULD HE?!" Chromia yelled.
Wheeljack assumed the fetal position to protect his most vital systems. Ratchet started looking for the biggest heaviest wrench he could swing at Chromia. And Prowl…he had the sedative ready to go, he was mere inches away from injecting it into her neck.
"Arrgg! This is just so typical of him! The fragger would do anything to avoid an argument!"
Prowl's arm dropped. She wasn't mad at Wheeljack. Pfft! She was mad at Ironhide!
"I was wondering why the slaghead didn't come to recharge last night," she fumed as she paced. "Honestly, if he didn't want a sparkling why didn't he just come out and say it!"
"This is a first," Ratchet whispered to Magnus. "A femme yelling, but not at us."
He nodded in agreement, watching Chromia pace.
"But no, 'They smell, they're noisy, Mia. You wouldn't like it,'" she said mimicking her sparkmate. "FRAGGER!"
"So, she's not mad at me?" Wheeljack asked, hiding behind Magnus' wide form.
"Doesn't appear so," Prowl answered standing with them now.
"The fragger probably did it on purpose just so he wouldn't hear any more about sparklings from me!"
"Chormia, I don't think…"
"SHUT UP!" she snapped at Ratchet.
"Ok, I'm shutting up."
"Do you think he'll be safe with her?" Magnus asked, the dead weight in his arms getting heavier and heavier by the moment. "I mean, Chromia can hold her anger against Hide just as long as Elita can against Optimus."
"I have no idea," Prowl muttered.
Chromia continued ranting in their language. Obviously she couldn't speak fast enough in Earth's English language to get all her anger out.
"What if…" Ratchet started but was interrupted.
(gurgle)
The four mechs looked anxiously at Ironhide. His stomach gurgled again but he continued to recharge.
"Is he waking up?" Prowl asked.
(GURGLE)
"No, he's still…oh, Primus what is that stench?" Ratchet exclaimed covering his nose.
Wheeljack gagged, covering his mouth. The smell was so bad it caused his holding tank to churn violently. If he didn't move away it was going to purge!
"Excuse me, Chromia!" Jack gasped rushing past her for the door.
Prowl, normally calm and poised, was right behind him. And Ratchet was right behind Prowl.
A somewhat bewildered Chromia watched the three mechs pushing and shoving each other as they each tried to be the first one out the door.
"Chromia," Magnus said in a soft and gentle tone, making her turn around to see the big mech was now standing right beside her. "Can you be so kind as too…"
(fart!)
"Just take your sparkmate, please!" Magnus pleaded, his optic cover blinking rapidly. His optics were burning so badly! Primus, he'd never smelled anything so bad before in his entire life!
"What's wrong?" she innocently asked.
"You don't smell that!" he choked out in disbelief. Frag, how could she not notice the offensive smell?!
"Yeah, so. Ironhide has always had horrendous exhaust fumes. I'm so used to them I hardly notice them anymore."
(FART!)
That was it! Frag his stoicism. Magnus couldn't take it anymore! He needed fresh air! He dumped the recharging sparkling in her arms and sprinted out the door.
"Frag! Hide, you're heavy!" she exclaimed, straining to get him cradled properly. It took a few moments but she managed. "Well, I guess I can't get too made at you right now. You are kind of cute, even if you do weigh a ton."
(fart)
Chromia sighed, with a smile, gently rocking her Hide.
Sparkling or not. He was still her mech. The one she loved more than life itself. Yes, he was a pain in the aft. Yes, he made her furious at times.
(fart)
And yes, he was smelly. But he was her mech.
(snoring)
Aww, even his snoring was the same. Only not as loud.
"We just heard!" Sunny exclaimed as he, Sides and Bee rushed into the lab. "Right on! Now we can blackmail Ironhide! Woohoo! I've been waiting for this day!"
"This is going to be so cool!" Sides agreed as they gathered around Chromia.
"Guys, shh, he's recharging," Bee told them quietly but was smiling just the same.
"Don't worry. Only the sound of gun fire and explosions will wake Hide up from recharge if his programs don't first," Chromia smiled proudly. "I guess I'd better enjoy him as a sparkling while I can. It's obviously going to be a long while until I get a sparkling of my own."
"Or…" Sunny grinned wickedly. "Once Wheeljack figures out how to change them back don't bother changing baby Hide back!"
"Frag that!" Chromia snorted. "There's too many things I love to do with Hide and I can't do them when he's like this."
"Right," Bumblebee agreed. "Besides, Sunny, you can't blackmail him if he's still a sparkling."
"Oh yeah."
(FART!)
"Did he just fart?" Sides giggled then suddenly choked and gagged. "Ahh, that reeks!"
"Did something crawl up his tailpipe and die?" Sunny asked, covering his nose and fanning the air as he backed away.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Bumblebee gasped, staggering backwards.
He really wasn't feeling well. His processor felt a bit foggy. His optics were seeing things a bit fuzzy. The energon he just drank was rumbling something fierce in his tank.
Chromia was really worried for Bee. He was like a little brother to her.
"Bee, you don't look so…"
Bumblebee suddenly just crashed to the floor. Optics offline. Leg twitching.
"…good," Chromia cringed. "Oops, sorry, Bee."
"I'll take him to Ratchet!" Sides quickly said, suppressing the urge to puke as he grabbed Bumblebee's arm.
"I'll help!" Sunny yelped, nose still covered, as he grabbed Bee's other arm.
The twins didn't even bother to pick up Bumblebee. They just dragged his form out of Wheeljack's lab as fast as they could! That smell was worse than the stink bombs they put in the command center one time!
"Well Hide, it's just you and me," she smiled, nuzzling her nose against his. "Just the way we like it, hmm?"
(snoring)
I hope you enjoyed that! I laughed while I wrote it! And yes, there'll be more Hide antics next chapter and he'll be awake for them too.