A/N: No, as it's actually been a year since Jeff came to the base, not a year since the chapter where she's revealed as sparked. Sorry for the confusion.

...

CHAPTER 62
Birthday Surprises

Jeff nearly dropped his mouth as he realized what his family had planned. Jeff had never exactly been to Universal Studios, let alone known what it was like to have the whole place to himself and his friends. He was stunned to silence, his mouth slightly dropping as Prowl simply stared at him, and shrugged gently. Putting his arm around Jeff's shoulders, his holoform nodded slowly. "You'd be surprised at what we can pull with a few calls to the studios and a couple of space bridges for your friends." He grinned widely "It was really Blue's idea, you can thank him later." He added.

Jeff wasn't sure how to respond to what he was saying to him. A part of him wondered if he should die of embarrassment, while another part of him was ready to run around like a little kid in a candy store. He finally allowed himself to smile, it was a great way to spend his birthday, at a theme park with no lines and all the rides he could ride. But at the same time, he felt like they shouldn't have gone all-out, like he wasn't worth it... Oh who was he kidding? It was probably the most awesome thing that anyone had ever done for him.

"Last one to Revenge of the Mummy has to spend the day with Ratchet!" Jeff joked.

Said medic watched with a slight grimace as Jeff rushed off with that sentiment and several of his friends. He turned towards Prowl, who simply seemed to chuckle quietly at the comment. "Oh, laugh it up, Prowl." Ratchet grunted, crossing his arms a bit "You two may find it amusing now, but you won't when I've tanned his hide while you're away at some time or another." He noted.

"Come on, Ratch." Prowl elbowed him "It's his birthday."

"Only reason I haven't done it already."

The hours that followed were easily some of the best that Jeff had ever spent in his life. Though he hadn't had much of a chance to see movies, he remembered many of the movies talked about from nights he'd spend with his biological dad. Prowl had pretty much agreed that anything he wanted from the park was his, but Jeff made it a point not to ask for anything too expensive. As this was enough already. After a few hours had passed, Jeff and Brent had sat down with a group of Jeff's closer friends at one of the cafe's around the park.

Jeff himself was knee deep in trying to figure out his gift from Brent, an iPod. He'd always heard of them, but learning how to use them made him feel stupid as he didn't know the first thing about how they worked. "Dude, it just stores music." Brent explained, sighing at his best friend with a quiet laugh "Here, let me try to explain again..." He paused and looked up at someone "Oh, hey Prowl, what's up?" He asked.

Jeff turned to see his foster father standing over him in his holoform. It was the only way the Autobots were even allowed in, given their enormous size after all. Prowl simply placed his hands on Jeff's shoulders, and smiled a bit. "Sorry boys, but I do believe it is time for the birthday boy to be given his real gift from me." Prowl noted, grabbing a package off the ground and putting it on the table "I thought that you all might want to be around for this." He added.

Jeff raised an eyebrow a bit at Prowl, but slowly edged the wrapping paper off the package. What he found inside the box it covered had both him and his friends speechless. He stood to his feet slowly, bringing out an elegantly crafted blade that looked every bit as beautiful as any of the swords he'd seen various Autobots use. "Dude, is that real!?" Brent questioned, standing to get a better look at the blade held in Jeff's hands "Prowl, that is sick!"

Jeff shook his head a bit, looking at Prowl, then at the blade he had in his hands. Prowl had never gifted him with a Cybertronian grade weapon. In fact, he wasn't too sure that most Autobots would think giving it to them was a good idea. "You have come so far with your training." Prowl noted "And it is customary that on their seventeenth vorn of creation..." He paused "That a youngling is to be given their first "tool" by their creators as a sign that they have come of age." He explained.

Jeff stared over the blade, holding it so that he could see it fully. To say the least, he was awe struck that Prowl would honor him by passing that ritual on despite the fact he didn't have a drop of Energon running through him. "This is... Amazing, dad." Jeff grinned "Thanks." He turned around, looking at everyone at his table "Come on guys, check this out, you've got to check this out." He explained.

Prowl smiled a bit, it was definitely the response he was hoping to get. Of course, it would mean he would start training Jeff in the art of swordsmanship, but he was more than happy to. Taking a deep breath, Prowl watched as Jeff discussed it with his friends. He knew that come five days from now, Prowl and Jeff were going to have plenty of time to learn much together.

...

The day at Universal Studios was followed by a very exhausted seventeen year old asleep in the back seat of Prowl's cruiser form. He had at least fifty presents packed into his subspace, everything from the transformable pen which became a pocket knife-like object of different tools from his uncle's, to several books on the medical field from Ratchet. To say the least, Jeff had made a good enough haul that he was going to be entertained for many months to come. As he got Jeff to bed, Prowl stretched out, having brought out all the presents and placed them in safe areas.

It had been a long day for him, to say the least. He nearly jumped out of his shell at the sound of his comm going off at nearly twelve in the morning. Rubbing his optic quietly, he sighed a bit. "Prowl here, but the hour is late, so make this quickly if possible." Prowl grunted.

The next moment seemed to pass by forever, but he still made his way towards the couch to take it in. There was a quiet sigh of relief coming over his features at the news, mixed with unrest all at once. They finally had enough evidence to pin Peter Felton as an abuser, thanks to the help of several human allies. To say the least it was a relief, as they now had nothing against their chances of becoming a family. Peter, without being officially in jail, had still had the right to appeal. But after much time of working on it, through statements and Bumblebee's eyewitness account that was over.

Peter Felton was behind bars, leaving no member of Jeff's family capable of taking him in.

Prowl took in what this meant quietly. It meant that he could sit back and relax at last, because the court could not say "no" any longer, not with the overwhelming positives that social workers had presented. Jeff was his, that much was one hundred percent official, now all they needed was the piece of paper that legally said so. "Thank you very much." Prowl replied after they had finished explaining this to him "No, I want no visitation. Nothing. I want him out of our lives for good. And I believe I have the legal right to say that now." He noted "Thank you for your call."

Prowl finally hung up, and had he been more easily moved to emotion, may have gone into a severe celebration. Instead he simply smiled, allowing his emotions to become visible by the twinkle in his optics and the look of pure happiness he had. He knew Jeff would be happy too, he could put all of his fears to bed now, at least, in his opinion he could, and he was sure it was the correct thought. "Prowl?" The second-in-command turned as Ratchet entered "I suppose they called you as well?" He questioned.

Unable to speak at the moment, Prowl nodded his head as slowly as possible. "I'm gonna be a father, Ratch." Prowl muttered "I know that I was optimistic before, but now... There's no one that can try to stop me." He shook his head slowly "Who would have thought that good new like this would come on a day of celebration. It could have come during the stress before." He managed.

Ratchet gave the mech a firm rap on the back of the head for that. He knew why too, it wasn't like Prowl to act like this. He was acting nervous, but he knew he wasn't that way at all. It was much more a feeling of realizing the reality of the situation all at once in a way that nearly stunned him to silence. "You should be happy about it." Ratchet noted "He's yours, Prowl. Wake him up, give him one last birthday present." He noted.

"But-"

"Forget his normal sleeping regiment for a moment." Ratchet noted "He can take it for one night. The medic approves."

Prowl smirked slowly, knowing that Ratchet was serious. Making his way towards the bedroom, Prowl took a deep breath. Jeff slept soundly still, his body moving up and down as he snored quietly. He slowly made his way over, gently poking him awake as carefully as he could. The boy blinked, rubbing his eye quietly and staring up. "Your uncle is in jail, now. Awaiting trial." Prowl noted as calmly as he could "You no longer have anyone other than me contesting for custody." He noted.

For a moment, Jeff tried his best to take in what he had just been told. Shaking his head, he slowly wrapped his arms around his finger. And though neither said a word, the two of them felt a silent, but much needed relief.