The Diego Diaries: Chaos 13 (dd3 23)
=0=In the bosom of love
"And that's what Roto said, Ratchet."
"That's wonderful, Ironhide. That little bot is getting to be a real trooper. He usually sinks. Now he can float all over the pool" Ratchet grinned at Orion who was sitting on the floor stacking his blocks and shell casings. "That bot is a caution."
"He is," Ironhide said from the middle of his chair, Praxus who was sitting on his lap chewed on one of his atar's digits. "Little mech is going to set the world on fire."
"Don't get him around matches, Ironhide. That's one of my deepest fears," Ratchet said. He took the last datapad and put it on a shelf behind him. His 'paperwork' was over and he was FREE! FREE! FREE! Walking to his chair, he sat down and grinned at the sparkling trying to stack rounded shapes on top each other. "That is one inspiring sparkling. He's trying to stack rounded shapes on top of each other."
"He's persistent," Ironhide said proudly. "Doesn't know round can't be stacked but he's keeping at it."
"Make sure he knows walls aren't doors, Ironhide."
Ironhide thought a moment then looked at Ratchet. "Ha-ha, Ratchet."
Ratchet grinned.
A rap on the door brought all optics toward the sweetly smiling helm peeking inside. "Hello."
"Hi, Ada," Ratchet said. "Come in and rest your peds."
Ravel stepped in followed by Tie Down. They cooed over the infants who warbled up at them then sat down. "What lovely babies you are," Ravel said.
"How do you two feel?" Ironhide asked.
"We feel good, son," Ravel said. "Tie needs a touch up on his armor but all in all we' re well. It's very nice to be home again though."
"You won't get your shop back for at least a decaorn. You will have to relax and enjoy until then," Ratchet said. "I could use the company in the office."
"We will come by, Ratchet, if you need us," Ravel said reaching down and picking up Orion. He hugged the little bot and sat him between himself and Tie. "Where is Flint? Is he settling in well?"
"He is," Ironhide said. "Right now, he's out with friends. There are a bunch of civilians here that he knows, that he helped a long time ago when he was on the Rim."
"That's very nice," Ravel said looking down at the little bot looking up at him smiling like a happy face button. Ravel smiled at him, then leaned down to kiss his little helm.
Orion hugged himself he was so pleased.
"We're going to be going through the Trigger, Tie, and be out of the system for a few joors. Depending on the scene at the other end, we might need you to help with the sparklings. Bluestreak and the twins are going to do the heavy lifting but knowing you're around will be a good thing," Ironhide said.
"We would love to help you," Ravel said with a smile. He looked at Ratchet. "Should you go, son? You're running out of orns before the femme comes."
"I was asked by Prime to come," Ratchet said. "It won't be too long and we'll be back."
Ironhide agreed. "It won't take us long. We're going to assess the signal we got from the message-send through the small gate. Prime is convinced that our people are there and we need to get them. Prime is Prime. He would know."
"He would," Tie said.
Ravel nodded emphatically. "He would, that one."
Ratchet smiled. His genitors were intensely cute.
-0-In the club
They walked in and sat with their group ordering food and drink. Miler and Venture had the sparklings because it was their 'date night' with the babies. They were free to play on this, the first 'weekend' of the rest of their lives. The place was full of happy groups, some in the bar and some here in the restaurant. The music was just right, the lighting was better and the place was packed.
"What did you find out about the human filmmakers?" Cliffjumper asked as he leaned over Bluestreak's shoulder. "And did you ask them why I wasn't included?"
Sunstreaker looked at the little mech. "They picked the ones who could do the job, Cliff. Tall ones."
"Oh, ha ha, Sunstreaker," Cliff said sourly. He walked back to his friends and sulked. "Fraggers. They need to have a mini-con in the mix. Someone like me. I need to talk to these idiots."
Laughter from Sunstreaker's table greeted that and the two groups settled into their own conversations.
Nearby, sitting on the bench along the wall Nitro and Revo watched the funny folks. They were waiting for their bonds and having a drink while they did. The strangeness of being where they were with who they were had worn off some time ago.
"Cliffjumper might get into trouble tonight. He's tossing them back one after the other," Nitro said.
Revo nodded. "It could get interesting. He seems to have a death wish provoking Sunstreaker."
"What do you think about being filmed?"
Revo shrugged. "I don't know. I talked to Heva about maybe the family getting filmed in the middle of this; he waxes hot and cold on the idea. Frankly, I don't know what that will feel like but the final version has to pass Prime. I trust him."
Nitro nodded. "Me, too. Here they are."
The bonds appeared and they waved, rising to walk to a nearby table. The small group sat and was soon joined by others, civilian neutrals, Autobots and ex-Cons alike. It was a great start to a great evening.
-0-Bumblebee and First Aid
They sat in First Aid's office talking togerther. Aid was off shift in a breem and they were going to be meeting the trine and others in their social group at the Club. Bee sat with his peds up on First Aid's desk tossing a steel ball back and forth in his servos. It was a tiny model of a Cybertronian football.
"How much longer?" Bee asked.
First Aid paused by his computer then grinning at his beau. "I'm done already."
"Make an executive decision and let's go."
"Give me a few minutes, Bee. Something might happen if I go early," he said shutting down his computer monitor.
"Yeah. I might have to drag you out of here by your nose," Bee said with a chuckle.
"If you put it that way," First Aid said as Bee stood.
They walked outside heading for the club and their friends.
-0-Out there
"What do you want to do, 'Jack?"
Blackjack stood before the computer reading the message that had been sent to them the same way the first one was. It was from Prime, carried the right codes, identifiers and an almost impossible to believe message that he would come the next orn to talk.
"I think we should meet him and see what's happening. I'm too scared to believe its truly him but everything checks out."
Alor nodded. "I know. The night messages are in and everyone is ready to go in a moment's notice."
"Good," he said glancing over at his bond. "We have to be ready to leave and blow the settlements to the Pit right away."
Alor nodded. "We will," he said quietly.
-0-At the theater
Mechs and an occasional femme sat in the back row and waited for the last four episodes of season one Transformers: Prime to play. The theater was filling up. They watched the crowd as they chatting quietly together waiting for 'One Shall Fall' and the three part 'One Shall Rise'.
Mimi's genitors sat with Bleu's, both couples having a night out together. The infants were with friends who were considering a sparkling of their own. There was nothing like servos on for such a life changing decision. They sat in the front row to get an unobstructed view of the show. By the time they were settled the room was filled and the lights went down.
The show would run continually until it was finished and they would leave to make room for the crowded second showing. The reviews would be stellar.
-0-In the private apartment
They stood next to the windows staring with telescopic lenses at the activities outside. Surprisingly intimidated, they decided to spend a moment surveying the sights beyond their aerie. Considering that an actual aerie existed nearby, they focused their scopes on the Seeker enclave several miles away. They could see the massive building that curved around a manicured central space that appeared to be a public area.
They could see Seekers arrive and leave the structure that appeared to be over a dozen terraced levels high. With the addition of more Seekers, the building was constructed upward to accommodate them.
"Do you suppose we can go there and maybe see Starscream?" a tech asked.
"I don't know," Jack Mellar said. "We're going to have to do this in a way that doesn't offend anyone. I feel kind of small and intimidated here."
The tech nodded. "I couldn't wait to get here and now I feel sort of afraid to step out especially now that its getting dark."
They watched the goings on outside their windows. They wouldn't venture out until the light of day.
-0-Prime Residence
"Then we're go tomorrow?" Miler asked as he helped clear away the dinner clutter.
"We are," Prowl said. "Optimus asked Ratchet to come along as well as Ironhide. I think he wants Ratchet along when we find out who's leading the ghost ships."
Miler nodded. "I really liked Alor and Blackjack. They were good mechs."
"I only met them twice with you. I don't have a clear image of them," Prowl said. "I just know they were extremely well liked and decent."
"They were. Are," Miler corrected. "I think its a good idea for Ratchet to be along. This is going to be a tremendous shock to Ironhide."
Prowl nodded as he finished his clean up. He looked at his ada. "The Trigger is optimal?"
"It is. It's go at every level," Miler said.
"Good," Prowl said. "Then we'll be ready in the morning to send the team through."
"As ready as we can ever be," Miler said as he followed Prowl back into the living room and the family that he'd come to love with his whole spark.
-0-In an apartment in a nearby tower
They sat on the couch holding their new sparkling. The Well had granted their wish and now they sat together looking at the little botlet lying in their arms wrapped in blankets they'd gotten at The Infant Center some time ago.
When they had made their decision they'd gotten an apartment with a room for a sparkling. They'd gone nervously into The Infant Center and gotten things that they thought a baby might need. It was awfully sweet to the manager who'd taken the awkward nervous pair into servo.
"He's wonderful," Trapezoid said staring at the infant in his arms.
"He is," Seven said. "Look at his little servos. Have you ever seen servos that small before?"
"No," Trapezoid said with a faint grin. "I'm sorta nervous. Are you?"
He nodded. "Yes."
They stared at their son for a moment.
"Do you think he needs to eat?"
"No. He's just laying there. I think he might need to sleep."
"We should put him in his bed."
"What if he cries?"
"I moved it into our berth room."
"Good thinking."
(Silence a moment as two nervous newly minted genitors stare at one drowsy little sparkling.) "He's awfully cute."
"He is. He's a good sparkling. He hasn't made a sound all night."
[Pause]
"Do you think that's normal, Trapezoid?"
"I think so. Cleery told us that he'd be tired and sleep a couple of orns really well."
"She did say that."
[Silence]
"Are you nervous, too?"
"I am."
[Silence]
"Should we call someone?"
"I don't know, Seven. How about we put him in his little crib and see what happens."
"Good idea."
Two big bots rose very slowly and tip-toed to their berth room. Walking inside, they awkwardly tucked their son into his blanket lined little crib. He immediately fell into recharge. They stared at him silently for a moment.
"He's perfect," Seven whispered.
"He is. This was a good thing, Seven," Trapezoid said with his own whisper.
"He's going to sleep a while."
"Maybe we should, too."
"I think so."
They watched a while, then both moved to the berth and lay down. They would stay awake all night listening. Their son would sleep uninterrupted all through the night.
-0-In the bosom of love
"Ratchet."
"What?"
"You asleep?"
"Nope."
"Oh."
[Silence]
"Ratchet?"
"What, Only One."
"Flint is doing really well isn't he."
"He is. Getting a good circle of friends, impressing Prime with his know how … all in all, a good start."
[Silence]
"Ratchet?"
"Hmm?"
"You aren't doing any matchmaking are you?"
"Nope."
"You wouldn't lie to me?"
"Nope."
[Silence]
Ratchet?"
"What?"
"Why aren't you meddling with my uncle?"
[Pause]
"I thought you didn't want me to do that."
"I don't."
"Well?"
"I just wondered what you thought might be wrong because you weren't."
"Weren't what? Meddling?"
"Yes."
[Pause]
"You don't want me to meddle. I don't. Then you wonder what is wrong with your uncle because I'm not meddling. That about it?"
"Yes."
[Pause]
"You worry me, Ironhide."
[Pause]
"Ironhide?"
"What?"
"Do you want me to match him up with someone?"
"No."
"Then why bring it up?"
[Pause]
"Because I can't recharge."
[Pause]
"So, because you can't recharge, no one can?"
"Yes." (grin)
"You need therapy. I'll schedule you with Jarro tomorrow."
[Pause]
"That rhymes."
"What does?"
"Tomorrow and Jarro. Rhymes. Sorta." (grin)
[Pause]
"You worry me, Ironhide."
"I see it as keeping a bond fresh."
"So … I'm stale?"
[Pause]
"Good night, Ratchet." (grin)
"Good night, Only One." (grin)
=0=TBC
2012 (9) edited 4-24-2022