Disclaimer: I do not own generation one Transformer characters, I own the plot, any random humans you do not recognize, and a feverent love for 18 wheeler trucks.
Summary: TF G1, Optimus Prime/Roller/OC, most of the 'Bots love having Spike and Sparkplug around, but the downside is Bee is Spike's guardian, making the other 'Bots a bit jealous, Ratchet has an idea, get the 'Bots out in public and meet people! Oh this isn't going to be good...R&R please
J: Thank you!
Chapter Three
Jealousy
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Ratchet watched as Bumblebee raced with some of the other 'bots outside of the ark. Spike had been attending the local high school to finish his education and had been offered to transfer to another school in the middle of the US for a technology program.
Bumblebee hadn't seen Spike since just after Christmas break.
Not that the middle of February was a long way from that time but the scout was getting on everyone's nerves.
"Will you just can it Bee? Spike's fine! Just relax! Not like anyone can really sympathize for ya! No one else is a guardian!"
Whichever Bot had yelled that was right, Ratchet thought, processor listing the number of times he'd heard one bot or another complain about Bee being a guardian.
"Is something wrong old friend?"
Ratchet smiled at Optimus, "Just listening to the others gripe about lack of guardianship, never knew bots could complain so much about not having something to do."
The Prime chuckled, sitting next to the medic, "I have noticed this as well, even when Sparkplug seems to favor some of the officers versus others they grow envious."
"Mhm."
CMO Ratchet watched the bots for a few minutes longer in silence, before his processor thought of a solution.
"Why not get them out there to meet people Optimus Prime? Bumblebee started out as a good friend to Spike like all of us did, and then grew into the guardian role, maybe the others just need to find the right human."
Optimus remained stoic and silent, Ratchet knew from experience he was thinking the idea over.
"And how do you suggest 'finding' these humans, there are currently nearly three billion of the species on this planet."
Ratchet chuckled, Prime's argument may have been valid, but the medic could see the light in his optics, Prime liked the idea, only experience made him look at it from every angle.
"Well, we can start by just in this immediate area or broaden the range to the US entirely, look for people in groups or teams that fit Bots' interests and go from there." Ratchet explained, processor humming with ideas and plans already, and the senior officers hadn't even heard it yet.
Optimus chuckled, "Very well, I'll have Prowl and Jazz meet us in the med bay when they return this afternoon."
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One week after the meeting, Ratchet, Jazz, Prowl, Ironhide, and Red Alert had finalized the plan, Optimus had a data pad on his desk to look over and approve.
As soon as his routine maintenance check ended...
Ironhide had decided the reports he was supposed to be filing and sorting could wait while he leaned against a med bay wall and watched Ratchet efficiently set up the medical scans for Optimus, rarely did anyone actually get out of a routine check, not even Prime could weasel out of one.
Though that didn't stop any Bot, Optimus included, from trying.
Thinking about it, Roller was the only one who could truly get away from the medic, one he was so slaggin' small, and two Prime's self-repair systems took care of most problems.
Car accidents weren't covered by that function though.
Optimus grunted rather loudly as the medic jerked a latch under an armor panel to remove it, "You could have asked Ratchet."
"Yes, I could have Prime."
The semi truck sighed, resting his head back against the berth rest.
"Com'on Prahm, Ratchet's always been a hard aft. Ain't nothin' gonna get 'im ta do somethin' he ain't wanna."
Optimus glared at Ironhide as smirked, Ratchet was removing other armor panels to get to the inner workings, and wasn't being all that gentle about it.
First Aid entered the med bay a moment later, pausing as Prime grunted again, Ratchet either wasn't paying attention to his actions, or didn't care.
It only took a few minutes once the armor was removed to get all the scans completed and anything minor taken care of easily.
Ratchet moved to replace the cap on Prime's coolant tank, hands doing so blindly out of eons of practice. Optimus' hand went to his side, pressing the armor against the tank as his systems recalibrated the fluid levels while he sat up, a soft groan coming from his vocal processor at the swing in numbers before his system settled.
"Alright Prime, you're cleared to go, the plan data pad is on your desk awaiting confirmation."
xxx
The program was cleared, and Sparkplug was in charge of public relations on the human side and Jazz on the Autobot side. This way the 'new' humans had someone to talk to before meeting all the btos, even if they were world-wide celebrities.
The only problem...Sparkplug had to find humans willing to interact with the Bots on a long term scale to get to know them...
Surprisingly it wasn't easy.
He finally settled for calling Chip, the tech nerd at a community college specializing in intelligence programs.
Chip agreed to help, but he couldn't leave his classes in the middle of a semester, so the Autobots got to take a road trip to Iowa.
xxx
Sparkplug winced in time with Ironhide as Optimus jerked on his shocks. The Battle Command Trailer was still heavily damaged and unable to be easily pulled by Optimus, leaving Huffer to (grudgingly) do the job.
Optimus was using a rented small flatbed to haul Roller behind him, the scout vehicle refusing to be towed by Hoist even if he was now out in the open.
The drive was relatively calm, mostly interrupted by sight seers at the rest stops, no Decepticons decided the group was worth attacking as of yet.
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Optimus sighed softly as he sat at the edge of a field behind a little used rest stop, several miles away from the highway. Most of the other bots were either lounging in the sun or messing around further off in the open field, playing a game of 'keep away' as Sparkplug had described it.
Roller was calmly zipping around in front and in between Prime's legs, beeping softly as he moved. Optimus reached down when the scout vehicle stopped by his right ankle, whirring softly.
"*chuckle*...hello little one, enjoying the fresh air?"
Beep
Prime hummed softly in response, gently rubbing his fingertips over the smooth white metal, noting yet again the plates were solid, no faint seams that meant the armor split apart into new shapes. Roller couldn't and refused to transform, and not just because he didn't have a bi-pedal form to go back to.
Ironhide was approaching Prime from his left, a gentle smile on his face plates as Roller met his gaze, but the scout vehicle still zipped in reverse to hide behind Optimus.
"*sigh* Hello Ironhide."
"He still don't like comin' out 'round others huh Prahm?"
"No."
The security technician shook his head before crouching down and reaching behind Optimus, gently gripping the scout and pulling back in front.
"Ironhide! If he want to stay hidden let him!"
"Oh cool your tanks Boss." Ironhide griped, gently setting Roller in front of his legs and holding him lightly, thumbs slowly rubbing the armor plates until the vehicle stopped shaking so hard Optimus could feel it.
"He needs to get used ta others near him Boss Bot, see he's settlin' down."
Optimus grunted, but Ironhide was right, the scout had stopped shaking, still wasn't relaxed and desperately reaching to Optimus through their bond for security. Prime couldn't resist, gently easing the bond wide enough to reassure the scout.
"See there Roller? Ain't nothin' ta be 'fraid of..."
"Ironhide!"
The red mech let the scout go then, glaring at Ratchet, "'cept for Doc Hatchet o'course."
Tada!
