CHAPTER 14
Worry

If there was one thing Waspinator hated more than anything, it was an upset "mistress". In the years since they'd been created, right here on this wretched rock that the humans called "Earth", he'd learned well that Blackarachnia did not take bad news well. It was the entire reason he had gone "missing" for the last month to avoid having to face her empty-handed, and worse face her wrath. The spider-based Predacon was seated on a webbed up throne near the head of the large cavern that they occupied, her four red eyes focused upon Waspinator.

"How hard is is to kidnap one human child?" She hissed quietly, anger laden in her voice "Jeffrey Devlin was a street urchin, even a youngling could have completed such a capture without resistance." She stood slowly, taking her steps down towards Waspinator "Surely, you must have had a reason you could not acquire the hostage? Start explaining." She added.

Waspinator's large, beady optics stared up at him. "Autobots tracking Waspinator. Autobots save squishy sparkling." Waspinator told her, nervously clicking his talons together "Autobots don't know though, mistress. Autobots still in dark." Blackarachnia smiled slowly "Waspinator do good, yes, spider lady?" He questioned.

SMACK!

Waspinator rubbed his cheek as he recoiled from being slapped across the room. "Failure is NEVER a good thing." Blackarachnia snapped "What's more, you've made it that much harder to get our hands on the child." She hissed "His carrier will never co-operate with our wishes until we have the leverage." She explained sinisterly.

"Go easy on him, Blackarachnia, he's still learning."

A second spider-like Predacon made his way out of the shadows, his multicolored, yet dark form nearly blending into the shadows. Tarantulas sat on a large rock and stared over at the female Predacon quietly. "We were always aware that taking the boy would be difficult. He has evaded us for long, after all." He then paused "Patience is a virtue, the child WILL be taken. It is a simple matter of what will be left of his Autobot protectors when he is." He chuckled.

"As long as it isn't Optimus Prime." Blackarachnia replied.

Tarantulas took a few steps forward, and looked down upon Waspinator quietly. "Watch this boy closely, but do not make your move just yet. Find out where he spends his time, his friends... Everything." Tarantulas spoke lowly "We will plan his capture quietly, the Autobots will never know what hit them." He noted.

Slowly, a malicious smile crossed over Blackarachnia's lips.

...

Jeff and Prowl made it back to base by the time five o'clock had rolled around. Jeff was mostly silent, his mind still going towards his mother, not for the first time, he wondered what had happened to her. She had promised to come back for him someday when it was "safer", but apparently, it was not safe yet, not if she had still not made any attempt to contact her. It only made matters worse that he was stuck in his present situation. While the Autobots weren't bad, his vision of home still didn't seem to involve giant robots of any variety.

As far as he could tell, no scenario of any kind had ever involved that. Yet, he was still stuck there, bound by his promise to Sideswipe to stay. He could run, he thought, go back on the streets, travel around, try to find her. But what good would it get him? Especially when he considered the fact that that Decepticon was still out there. "Jeff?" Jeff turned his head towards Prowl "I'm sorry we could not locate your mother for you." He noted.

Jeff shrugged silently, leaning against the crook in Prowl's neck. "It's fine." Jeff replied "If mom wanted to be found, she'd let me find her. She'd have come back for me." He shook his head a bit "Whatever it is, she has a reason for leaving me in Chicago and I have to accept that." He explained, before straightening, and pulling his legs into an almost crouching position on his shoulder "Not saying it doesn't suck, but it's... Whatever." He shrugged.

Inside, Jeff nearly backhanded himself for moping. It wasn't like him to mope, he'd always been tough, easily putting up a wall. But around Prowl, Sideswipe, or Arcee, he admittedly did falter a bit. The three had a way of getting under his skin that Jeff wasn't sure he'd ever get used to. "Regardless, I should have been more sensitive to your situation and warned you of the technology's limitations." Prowl replied, his optics focused on the young human "But I will drop it now." Prowl replied.

They came to a stop in front of Sideswipe and Arcee's small apartment in the base. Prowl set him down slowly, and Jeff carefully stared up at him, blinking a little bit. "Yeah, well, either way. Thanks for the fun time, man." Jeff patted the side of the mech's leg "I'll see you after school tomorrow for training, I guess?" He responded calmly "Or...?" He questioned.

Prowl looked thoughtful for a moment, then looked down at Jeff. "Take another day for a break, Jeff." Prowl replied calmly "I think you could use it after the frustration the day has brought you." He added, Jeff simply nodded his head "And I had a good time as well." He commented, a smile on his face "A lot more fun than I usually do."

Prowl headed off down the hallway, leaving Jeff standing in the hallway. Though he'd never admit it, he hadn't liked the fact that he hadn't been able to find his mom. Just because he was able to accept he might never find her, obviously did not mean that he didn't still wonder what had become of her. He simply hid his frown, and headed into the apartment, he could think more on the subject later.

...

"So, it seems Jeff really likes you."

Prowl turned around in his office, it was late that night, but Sideswipe's presence did not startle him all that much. He nodded his head a little bit, grabbing a few data pads, and looking at Sideswipe silently. "Despite his attitude at times, I do quite enjoy his presence as well." Prowl admitted quietly, taking a few steps over "If you've come to ask whether or not I am doing this to spite you, you may rest your fears." He then added "I just want to help him better control his abilities." He added.

"Actually... As hard as it is to believe." Sideswipe paused "I wanted to thank you for helping Jeff out. He really needs more authority figures in his life. And I know I'm not always the best one." He explained, shrugging his shoulders a bit "How is he doing anyway? Is he really that skilled?"

Prowl nodded his head, tapping his fingers on a table. He couldn't help but smile a bit, after all, he was more than impressed by Jeff's progress so far. Looking over his data pads with his daily log, he began to reply. "Jeff is extremely skilled for someone his age. But that isn't saying much being a human." Prowl explained "That being said, Jeff is quite adept, and tends to never give up." He then added "He searches for the answer for everything, and typically finds it." He then added "But..." He began.

"But what?"

"He lacks self-confidence." Prowl explained, shaking his head slowly "Oftentimes, when he fails, he has a bit of a temper tantrum and I need to talk him into trying again. His tact, also needs a substantial amount of work, as he does not always focus on his goal." He turned to Sideswipe "He needs training, but given time, I believe he will be quite the strategist." He then added "Given, if he can... Move past his issues."

Sideswipe cocked an optic ridge. Prowl merely frowned a moment, his optics moving to stare at the floor. "I believe his lack of family, or a home, bothers him far more than he lets on." Prowl explained "His abandonment does too. Today, he attempted to search for his mother, and failed." Sideswipe frowned at this too "As long as he cannot find some way to move on from his past, he can never truly focus hard enough." He then added "It's a downfall that is not easily solved."

Sideswipe nodded silently, knowing that it was true from experience. He seated himself in a seat, and looked up at Prowl. "I wish we could help him in that respect. But fact is not many families are willing to take a sixteen year old." He then added "Besides, I'm not quite sure that it's what Jeff truly wants. I think what he wants more than anything is his real family back." He admitted.

"As do I."

The mech's stared at each other for a long time, as this was, of course, the calmest conversation they had had in vorns. Then again, Prowl hadn't made their relationship easy, having been the one who had constantly berated the twins as younglings, and even moreso when they joined the army. In truth, they had never had a common issue to talk about like this before, or perhaps their relationship may have been different. "Perhaps Jeff will come to realize that is not likely an option." Prowl commented "In time."

"Yeah, hopefully." Sideswipe replied with a sigh "Listen, I should get back to the apartment. But if anyone asks, for reputation's sake, I was yelling at you for turning me in." He smirked "Can't have it getting to Sunny that we actually got along for a change."

Prowl merely nodded and waved him off. Sideswipe made his way out the door, leaning against the wall. Now that someone had been worried about this problem just as he was, he couldn't help but be more worried for Jeff's well-being. And not for the first time, he thought of Waspinator's comments about "the sins of the parents" and silently wondered...

Could Jeff's mom have been what he meant? If she did, Sideswipe could only worry that her's and Jeff's story may not have the happy ending Jeff may have been hoping for.