CHAPTER 16
Adventures in Sparksitting: Part 1

Jeff was silent as he settled his bags onto the ground in Prowl's apartment. He'd been grounded by Sideswipe and Arcee a good two weeks for his stunt, and seeing as they had wanted alone time for a "romantic night out", they had only trusted Prowl to continue the grounding. To say the least, Jeff, despite liking Prowl, was less-than-enthused at the idea of an overnight stay without much of anything to do. His eyes scanned the apartment, it was huge, like the four room suite in a hotel, mostly empty due to the fact that Prowl lived alone, but none-the-less, well-made up.

"You will need to practice patience with me." Prowl stated as he stepped around Jeff and into his apartment "I have never sparksat before, and I'm not quite sure what I'm doing." He grabbed an energon cube off his "kitchen" counter "Granted I would take you out somewhere, but I am in agreement with your guardians about your punishment." He explained.

Jeff was silent, but nodded his head slightly. He wasn't too certain what to say to Prowl, having never experienced him in this light. Their friendship had always been that of a mentor and apprentice, never anything along the lines of a temporary guardian and a charge. Even if it was just for the night, Jeff was uncertain as to what to expect. "Yeah, well, I'll go easy on you." Jeff muttered, he looked up at him "I think Sides and Arcee are still mad at me." He commented "That's why they went out today." He added.

Prowl's optic ridges twitched a little bit as he shook his head slightly. "They were only scared, we all were." Prowl replied "They simply need their time away like any other couple, do not read into it." He took a few steps forward "They could have simply thrown you on someone else that night if they were REALLY tired of you." Jeff nodded "So, I had hoped we might continue some of your training tonight-" He began.

"On a school night?"

Prowl grimaced, he had nearly forgotten it was Sunday. Taking a deep breath, he let his vents exhale some hot air before he thought towards his plan b. The problem being he didn't have one. Prowl had never been given the task of entertaining a "grounded" youngling for an evening. One he could occupy with something in the outside world, of course, but never this situation. "Well then, I'm at a loss." Prowl admitted "What exactly is it you younglings like to do when confined to the home unit?" He asked.

"Watch movies, play video games, eat, sleep." Jeff shrugged "I don't know a lot about that as, well, you know." He then added "What do you like to do in your free time at home?"

Prowl shook his head a little bit, putting his hands on his hips. "It's been quite some time since I have spent free time within my home." Prowl admitted "Perhaps I can put on some programming you might enjoy. But my quarters are not truly equipped for sparklings." Jeff nodded his head slowly in response "Have a seat on my couch, I have a human sized one for when I have human guests over." He nodded towards a smaller couch.

Jeff sat down and watched Prowl silently. The poor mech had no idea what he was doing, and Jeff couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him as a result. He was the only adult on-base with the time to do so, or arguably, if you counted Ratchet, with the patience. Taking a deep breath, Jeff stood up, and headed over to Prowl. "Listen, Prowl. I can stay on my own, there's like five floors of Autobots between me and a Decepticon." Prowl peered over at him quietly "I know you care about me, but I also know-" He commented.

"If you know I care about you, you know I'd never allow you to stay alone." Prowl replied "I am the second most paranoid Autobot behind Red Alert in the opinions of many." He leaned forward a bit "Do not try to get yourself out of this, because you will only cause me to glitch." He then added "Or at least moreso than I did nearly a week ago now." He added.

Somehow, Jeff had a feeling that calling himself the second most paranoid Autobot to only Red Alert was no exaggeration on Prowl's part. The mech did always seem to have a nervous air about him, something that had not gone unnoticed. One the other hand, Jeff knew that Prowl also probably feared that should he do so, he may make another run for it, which, in all honesty, he had considered. "Listen Prowl, if we're going to survive tonight, one of two things needs to happen." Jeff began "Either we turn on something not boring and educational that you watch, or we go out and break the rules." He commented.

"What makes you think I watch boring and educational television?"

Jeff rolled his eyes a bit, knowing Prowl well enough by now to know that was the case. "Come on, Prowl. I bet if I turned on this TV right now, I'd see National Geographic or something." Jeff replied teasingly "You're awesome and all, but you just have that kind of taste." He explained, sitting up a bit "Meanwhile, kids like me? Are more into the mind-numbing stuff." He added.

Prowl simply rolled his optics, trying to ignore the fact that Jeff sounded almost exactly like him at his age. "Yes, well... This is true." Prowl finally replied, putting his hands on his hips "If you must know, I have learned much about the species and inner-workings of your planet while also being entertained." Jeff chuckled "But I do have a fondness for my action films as well." He added.

"Don't try and make yourself sound cool." Jeff smirked "I enjoy you for you, no need to act "cool" with me." He added "But seriously, we should get out of here, you can break the rules just this once, can't you?" Prowl was silent at that "You can't be a stiff all the time Prowl, it gets boring after a while." He then added "Sides and Arcee don't even need to know." He added.

"Are you sure we can't just watch a documentary on the mating rituals of fish?"

...

Prowl was hardly ever talked into breaking rules, but after an hour of said-documentary, even he had been bored. A couple of hours later found himself and Jeff on a hill overlooking New Chicago, an ice cream cone held in Jeff's hand as he sat on his hood. "When I was a kid..." Jeff suddenly spoke up "My dad used to take me to a place like this outside Old Chicago." He commented "We used to talk about the stars, wonder if there was life out there." He shook his head a bit "He was such a big believer, if only he could have lived to see you guys." He added.

Prowl felt confused, it didn't seem usual for Jeff to just offer up such things before. Shifting a little on his tires, his engine revved a bit. "Why are you telling this fact to me when I did not ask?" Prowl questioned, Jeff raised an eyebrow "It seems uncommon for you to speak of your past, and I don't quite understand your mindset." He admitted "Explain."

"I don't know, being up here reminds me of him is all." Jeff shook his head a bit "Besides, we really haven't totally gotten to know each other. I mean... I know a lot about you, I guess, but when it comes to me... You don't know a lot." He sat cross-legged on the hood now, and smiled "Got any questions you've been begging to ask me or anything?" He questioned.

Prowl had to admit, he did have several questions. Some of them pertaining to homelessness on Earth, while others simply to explain his mindset. Prowl still worried for the boy's mental well-being, and he supposed that might clarify some things. "Why do you not leave when none of us are awake?" Jeff was silent at that "I know that you could do so at any times, you are crafty, capable." He admitted "Why is it that despite it all, you allow yourself to resign to our protection?" He questioned.

Jeff was silent for a long, hard moment, it was a good question. Jeff wasn't sure he understood himself on some days. Some days, it felt as though he was just following the suggestion of his father, and other times, it felt like something more bound him to the base. "I don't know, exactly." Jeff replied "I thought about it all the time when I first got here. But the longer I stay..." He shook his head "I'm not saying I want to stay for good. But like I could get used to the treatment I get here." He admitted.

"Are you not treated adequately elsewhere?" Prowl questioned.

Jeff rubbed his arm, and the imaginary scars from a few of his former "homes" he had. They weren't there anymore, but in his mind, he would never forget them. The fact was, they had been there, and they had at one time been a constant reminder of why he had gone homeless. "For every "Autobot" in the system, so-to-speak... There are six "Decepticons" in there too." Jeff shook his head "You guys are probably the best I've had it. Which considering you're a bunch of giant robots, is saying something." He then quickly commented "No offense."

"So there are no good homes?"

"There are, just..." Jeff shook his head, and hopped down from the hood "You get to see the good, and the evil of human beings." He admitted, looking over at Prowl "You guys had war, we have the system. They're not even that much different." He explained "But it's kinda hard to explain to someone who'd never been in it." He explained.

Prowl was silent, shifting a little bit on his wheels again. "For what it's worth." Prowl spoke calmly "I do understand."

Jeff shook his head silently, then finally spoke. "No one can." Jeff replied.

He stood there, at the edge of the overlook, his eyes focused on the city bellow. Wondering quietly if he could ever find an answer to the question. Taking a deep breath, he turned around. "Come on Prowl, we should-" He stared up as a shadow shot past, jumping back.

"What is it?"

Jeff stared where the shadow had been, but saw nothing. His muscles relaxed only slightly, and he turned to Prowl. "Nothing. Just a trick of the eyes." He commented quietly.

Inside, he wasn't so sure.