At the sound of the crash Prowl leapt out from behind his desk and all but flew out of his office. "What in the name of…?" His words trailed off as a knee high flash of blue streaked past him and into another side room. "Lights." He called and the darkness of his main living space gave way to reveal a couple of heavy canisters that were usually kept on a high shelf lying on the floor.
"Blue." He called softly and the little mech peeked out from behind his door.
"Sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry, I just wanted a goodie and you were busy so I tried to reach them but they were too high and I slipped." He babbled.
"But you've had two already and you're supposed to be in re-charge." Prowl explained as patiently as he could.
"I can't, not without Jazz here, he always sings to me and I miss him." Came the reply and Prowl felt his door-wings droop, Jazz had warned him that the little mech might be anxious without him around but Prowl had assured him that they would be fine and knowing that his lover really needed to get out and do his own thing for a while all but kicked him out of their quarters.
"Well I'm not Jazz and I don't sing but I could tell you a story if you like?" Prowl ventured hoping with his entire spark that the substitution would be good enough.
In answer Blue scampered back to his berth and looked up expectantly. Prowl searched his CPU quickly and found a tale that his creator had told him when he had been not much more than a sparkling himself and sat down on the edge of the bunk. "Once upon a time there were three little mechs…"
Prowl on-lined again as something brushed his faceplate and looked up to find Jazz standing over him with a slight smile pulling at his lip components. "You two have fun without me?" Jazz' soft voice chuckled.
"I think it went well." Prowl whispered. "He had some trouble settling down but I told him a story and he drifted right off." He looked down at the sparkling and wondered how best to extract himself from the grip that Blue had wrapped round his leg but his best efforts were wasted as Blue on-lined at his first movement.
"Jazz!" The little mech cried happily and launched himself off the berth and into Jazz' arms faster than Prowl would have thought possible.
"Missed me, huh?" Jazz laughed hugging him tightly. "Have you been good?"
Blue stopped dead and looked over at Prowl nervously.
"I caught him trying to sneak a goodie after I put him down." Prowl explained.
"Well we talked about that didn't we lil'Blue? How many did you have after I left?" Jazz said seriously.
"Two." Blue answered hanging his head. Jazz slipped a hand under the little mechs chin and pushed it up softly so that they were optic to optic.
"And two is enough, there are still dents in the walls from the last time we gave you more than that." Jazz reminded him. "Now back to re-charge lil'one. We've all got an early start to our next cycle."
"But Jazz…" Blue began.
"But nothin'." Jazz cut him off quickly. Jazz laid Blue back down and looked at Prowl. "You go on ahead. This won't take long." He said softly.
Prowl who had been almost slipping back into recharge nodded and left the room before he went to his own room he stopped to pick up the canisters and straighten up a few other things.
"That's enough." Jazz said softly as he came up behind him and wrapped him in soothing arms. Prowl lent his head back so that it rested on his mates shoulder.
"That was quick." He observed.
"He was running on reserve tanks already." Jazz admitted.
"You're so much better with him than I am. I don't know how you do it."
"A little bit of practise is all it takes." Jazz replied with a slight chuckle in his melodic voice.
"How did your show go?" Prowl asked changing the subject completely."
"I have to say it was great to be back on the stage." Jazz beamed. "Now come on. It's past time that we were both in recharge."
Prowl nodded and hand in hand the pair walked to their own berth.
It was late in the next cycle when Prowl returned home and the sound of laughter greeted him as he walked through the door and just before Blue bounced up to him and hid behind his legs. "Save me Prowl. Save me." He pleaded as Jazz who was on his hands and knees a few feet behind him looked up sheepishly.
For an instant none of them moved then without warning Prowl spun, caught Blue in one arm and started to tickle him with his free hand. Bluestreaks shrill laughter felt like music to him and seemed to push away all the things that were troubling him. Jazz joined the tussle an instant later and it wasn't long before Prowl had them both in a tight hug.
Jazz seemed to sense the urgency of his partners movements and looked up at him. "Later." Prowl said softly. "Just let me enjoy this for now." Jazz nodded and squeezed him.
Blue went reluctantly to his berth a while later and Prowl poured both of them a good measure of mid-grade and sat at the table to wait for Jazz to join him.
"So what's new?" Jazz asked as he sat down.
Prowl took a sip of his energon and braced himself for what he had to say. "A friend of mine was killed earlier this cycle, he was stationed in Kaon as a peacekeeper but the city has been overrun."
As he spoke his lover gently pried his hands away from the glass he had been holding and wrapped them in his own. "I'm sorry my love." He whispered. "What's going to happen next?"
"Prime's sending a unit into Kaon to rescue any survivors but we simply don't have enough warriors to retake the city. He's working on that too and building an army but training them will take time and I'm not sure that we have that."
"Don't even think like that Prowl." Jazz said firmly and giving his hands a squeeze to emphasise his words. "We can't just give up."
Prowl nodded slowly. "I know but right now it just seems so hopeless. They're built for war, they have weapons that we can't match…"
"Prowl." Jazz interrupted him before he could continue his list any further. "We've got somethin' they don't and he's currently recharging in that room." He said with a gesture toward Bluestreaks chamber. "They've already taken too much from him and I'll got to the pit before I let them take anymore. I'm one mech, a blind musician but if I can find the strength to protect the ones that I love then so can everyone else and that courage will be the thing that saves us." He stood up moved around the table and placed his hand on his lovers chest about his spark. "And it's right here in you too. I've seen it."
For a moment Prowl was speechless, his lovers words repeating in his processor and the certainty that flowed into him through their bond were simply overwhelming. "You're right." He said eventually.
A little later the pair lay in their recharge berth together, Jazz was already off-line but Prowl was having trouble shutting his systems down. There seemed to be too much for him to think about and most of it was terrifying. He knew that even with the war Iacon was the safest place they could be, he hoped that Jazz and Blue wouldn't have to suffer any further and that if the worst should happened he would be able to protect them.
A slight movement caught his optic and he looked over to see Bluestreaks small frame hovering by the door. "What is it Blue?" He whispered.
"I missed you." The sparkling replied as he tottered across the room and attempted to climb up onto their berth. Prowl realised that he was barely on-line and gave him a helping hand before he settled him down between them. "Love you Prowl." He whispered before he fell into recharge.
"Love you too Blue." Prowl replied.
The gentle hum of Bluestreaks powered down systems somehow drowned out his grim thoughts and replaced them with a sense of peace that he hadn't felt in several cycles. He shook his head slightly and smiled. "I don't know how you do it Blue." He softly told the still form beside him. "But I'm so glad that you do. Thank you."