The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 10
-0-The next morning
He came online aware that he wasn't alone. Through the slits of his optic shields, he could see several short, several ecstatic individuals looking at him. Blinking, he looked closer and grinned. Sunspot was standing with the sparklings, a sagging Hero in his arms. He had her as best he could but her little bottom was beginning to get away from him. Orion and Praxus stood in front, Orion leaning forward to touch Ratchet's optics. "ADA!" he said with a gigantic grin, his little blue optics twinkling madly. "UP! SANTA! UP ME! COME!"
Ratchet blinked and raised his helm looking at Orion with a smirk. "New word, runt."
Orion looked at a smiling Sunspot. "POT! ADA COME!?"
"You need to come, Ada. Santa Prime has been here and my brothers want to look at the boxes and bags," Sunspot said as he adjusted his grip on Hero. She looked up and tweeted rather indignantly.
Ratchet sat up and stretched reaching out for Hero. Ratchet then leaned into the little group with a grin. "Wake up Atar." With that, he rose and walked to the door to watch.
Sunspot and the sparklings watched him go, then Sunspot hoisted them onto the big berth. He climbed up shushing them, sneaking toward Ironhide who lay on his back, one arm hanging off the other side of the berth. Looking at the babies, Sunspot grinned. "Let's get him."
And they did.
-0-Ironhide
He lay silently, his affect one of deep sleep as he heard his infants creep into the room. They were gathered on Ratchet's side of the berth. A simple tap on the bond confirmed that slagger was still asleep. He waited, listening to them awaken Ratchet and that formidable opponent arise.
The babies weren't exactly subtle.
"ADA!"
Pause.
"UP! SANTA! UP ME! COME!"
A comical rise in the bond signaled that Ratchet was awake. "New word, runt."
More conversation from the stature challenged, then Ratchet set them on him. It could have been any weekend at their apartment. Or any morning when he was slow getting out of the berth, which was just about any morning. He braced himself as they climbed up and stood together discussing their strategy. Then they charged.
Sort of.
Orion turned and ran forward stepping into the comfy hole that had been occupied by Ratchet and hadn't sprung back all the way yet. He tripped and face planted against the bed. Praxus pivoting behind him tripped over Orion and rolled into the big pillow that Ratchet used. Sunspot who was standing behind them paused and looked dismayed. He bent to tug sparklings up onto their peds as Ratchet choked on his laughter. Sunspot looked over his shoulder with a frown. "Help me, Ada. My troops are falling down."
A guffaw erupted out of Ratchet as he moved forward to assist. But by then it was too late. Their implacable enemy aka Atar rose up and scooped them all into his arms. They hung off the bed with shrieks and laughter. Sunspot who was captured struggled as Ironhide tickled his side. "ATAR! YOU'RE CHEATING!" he cried out as he laughed.
"You bet I am. How's a mech supposed to defeat an army this good without cheating?" Ironhide asked with a chuckle. "Do you surrender?"
"NO SURRENDER!" Sunspot said wiggling some more. "Ada! Save me!"
"I'm a neutral in this campaign," Ratchet said as he stood swaying gently, a fascinated Hero in his arms. She tweeted to Sunspot and he paused smiling. "I surrender, Atar if I can hold Hero."
"Surrender accepted," Ironhide said setting the little bot down. He ran to the edge and jumped off moving to stand next to Ratchet. The other two bots got raspberries before being settled gently on the floor. Stepping over them, Ironhide rose and stretched turning to smile as his younglings ran around the bed to huddle with Ratchet.
"Apparently I'm the 'fort' this morning," Ratchet said with a chuckle.
"ADA!"
Ratchet looked down. "What?"
"SANTA!" Orion said pointing toward the living room.
"Go and find a place to sit," Ratchet said with a grin.
Sunspot took the babies by the servo and hurried out to the living room. Ratchet watched him go, then looked at Ironhide. "Nice having a live in nanny."
"I would say so," Ironhide said walking around to take Hero. She smiled at him tweeting her delight and the three walked into the corridor heading for the living room.
Sunspot had settled the babies in their spots but they were excited and kept trying to get up. "Sit, Orion," Sunspot said from his spot in between the two of them. "Wait for Ada and Atar."
Ironhide walked in pausing by the trees noting that there were three little presents left plus the one Sunspot had gotten from school. "Who gets to be Santa Prime?" he asked.
"You do," Sunspot said with a smile.
Ironhide grinned. He picked up a box, a small thing in his big servo. I think this says 'Sunspot'," he said leaning down to give it to Sunny. He took it with a smile. "Thank you, Atar," he said settling it on his lap.
Ironhide gave a small box to Praxus and Orion. They looked at them with delight. After a moment of futzing around, they figured if you lifted the lid there was a prize inside. Orion reached in and pulled out a round ring that was soft and puffy. Sunspot looked at it. "What is that, Ada?"
"That's a flotation device for the pool."
"The one at their school?" Sunspot asked as he carefully worked on opening his so that nothing was torn or mussed.
"No," Ratchet said with a smile. "The pool that is going to be opening at the new indoor sports arena in the satellite city being built three miles from here. They're calling it Terra after the Earth."
Sunspot looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "They're building a new city with a pool?"
"They are," Ratchet said. "We're starting a new settlement three miles from here for housing, schools and businesses. That way we can make sure all our living spaces are planned and not just spreading out from the city here and there, any which way. They're making an indoor sports center for games and a huge swimming pool for bots to use. Orion has a flotation ring for the pool."
"WOW! THAT'S SUCH A GREAT IDEA!" Sunspot said with a giant grin.
Praxus got his lid off and pulled out a similar ring. Both of the them were yellow with glyphs printed on them that spelled their names. Sunspot pulled the lid off his box carefully and gasped. Reaching in, he pulled out a datapad that was brand new, had more bells and whistles as well as his name in copper glyphs. "WOW! THIS IS NICE!" He looked at Ironhide and Ratchet with intense joy.
"You need a better one. The other one can be your back up. This one has more features, more video and audio possibilities and more storage. It's loaded with the programs you need and a couple of games that are fun," Ratchet said.
He jumped up and hugged them both before turning back to his datapad with joy. Setting it down carefully, he picked up his emerald bag from school and drew the strings open. Reaching inside, he pulled out a number of books, real paper books from Earth. They were graphic novels about his current cartoon favorites, Batman and Spiderman. He looked up and grinned. "This is awesome," he said looking at them again. "These are real paper."
"They are," Ratchet said grinning. :Interesting that he can like humans on paper but they scare him in the flesh:
:I know. I'll make sure the school and his counselor know that: Ironhide replied.
"Good," Ratchet said rising from his chair. "I'll get breakfast. Its a special thing from Rampage and The Energon Basket."
"What is it, Ada?" Sunspot said looking up for a moment.
"Something called doughnuts," Ratchet said with a grin. He pulled the pastry plate out of the small refrigerator, filled the sippie cups and Sunspot's cube, then put them on the table. "BREAKFAST!" Ratchet exclaimed as he swooped down on Praxus. He squeed and dropped his flotation ring as his ada plopped him on a chair.
Orion, his ring through one arm and not the other paused trying to fit it over his little helm and turned to run. He made it to his door before he as 'evacuated' squeeing to the table too. They all gathered and began to eat, the infants ending up on the table before they fell off the chairs from tilting their cups too high.
"When is the game, Ada?" Sunspot asked as he munched his 'doughnut'.
"In about five joors," Ratchet replied as he pushed Praxus farther from the edge of the table. Orion had tipped over, drinking his energon while reclining. He grinned at Ironhide each time he paused on his sip. Ironhide rubbed his belly and grinned back. Hero merely sucked on Ironhide's feeding tube in a haze of comfort and joy.
Such was the season.
"Can I go to the trine's house? They won't mind. I can help them with the sparklings. The twinnies are walking," Sunspot said.
"I saw that. Their old ada works with them orn and night. They're going to be awesome and ahead of their time," Ratchet said as Ironhide nodded.
"I'll take you," Ironhide said. "Call them and see if its alright. They're getting ready for a game you know."
"I know," Sunspot said slipping down from his chair. He ran to the monitor and took the remote, an oversized appearing device into his servo. Dialing in their number, he waited. Sideswipe came onto the screen. "Sideswipe!"
"Spud," Sideswipe said with a grin.
"Can I come over?" Sunspot asked.
"Sure," Sideswipe said as the sound of infants laughing could be heard. "Who is that, Sideswipe?" Bluestreak's voice could be heard asking. Sideswipe looked to one side. "Sunspot. He wants to come over."
"Come over, Sunny!" Bluestreak called out.
"I will come," Sunspot said as he said goodbye. He ran over to the table and climbed up on his chair. "They want me to come over."
They both nodded and Ironhide finished his meal. Putting dishes into the sink including Sunspot's, he looked at the Seeker with a critical optic. "You need a shower." With that, they disappeared into the berthroom to get a spritz.
Both of them.
-0-At the trines' domicile
They knocked on the door and entered to the call from within. Sunspot entered and grinned. He shown like a gilded thing and walked to Bluestreak for a hug. Blue picked him up, hugging him tightly. "You look so handsome."
Sunspot smiled at him. "MY BROTHERS ARE GOING TO WIN AT FOOTBALL TODAY! I WANTED TO LOOK NICE!"
Sideswipe who looked around the corner of the berthroom grinned. "You look like a champion."
Blue set him down and he ran into the berthroom where Sunny and Sideswipe were detailing for the big game. Ironhide looked at Kaon who stood below with his arms uplifted, his servos grasping to be picked up. Ironhide did and kissed the infant walking to the couch to sit. Placing Kaon on the seat next to him, they grinned at each other.
The twins toddling around walked to the couch and raised their arms. He picked them up, one on each servo, grinning at them as they smiled back. "They're really getting around."
"If they had been better at walking they would have been on the dance team. Neo told me so," Blue said sitting across from Ironhide. Outside the window, they could see across the street to Praxus Tower, the former home base of Ironhide and the 'fam'. The streets were busy and the windows of apartments in the Praxus Tower showed activity.
"That would have been cute," Ironhide said with a grin. "Next Christmas Surprise is going to be amazing."
"All we have to do is wait 36.5 decaorns," Blue said with a grin.
-0-At the Habitat
The scientists sat around the table finishing up breakfast. Some of the film's crew were here eating with some of the residents that had become friends. They were waiting along with the town for the game. Some of the film crews were gone to film already, each to follow a different player to the game and all its pre-rituals. Some would be following Kup, Drift and Springer who were hanging out together around town.
It was going to be epic.
-0-Around town
At Club Cybertron
They ignored the segways as nearly everyone in town had come to do and finished their breakfast. Springer had finished outlining the security for the orn, all of his different sub leaders finalizing their understanding of the possibilities. They left and soon so did the three, rising to walk to the door and beyond. They moseyed down the street heading for a substation near the arena. Entering, they paused and discussed the methods of exit from the two facilities should anyone have to be dragged away.
"Springer!"
He looked down at the film crew and nodded slightly. "What?" he asked with a grin.
"What do you plan to do if anyone acts up? How do you think you can get them out of the middle of 200,000+ bots?"
Springer glanced at his companions, Kup looking stoic, Drift smirking. Then he looked down at the humans. "I don't do anything. These two slaggers are going to do it to earn their keep. Right?" he asked looking at the two.
Kup looked at him for a moment, a gimlet optic on clear view. He took his stogie out, stared at the end, then looked at Springer with a bland expression. "Slag that," he said to the amusement of all.
-0-At the arena, the dressing room of the Vos Avengers
They sat leaning against the walls of the dressing room that was designated for them. It was modern, spacious and beat the slag out of the Youngling Intermediate Day School's community room. This was state of the art.
Their coach was talking to their goalies, telling them all manner of slag. The problem today would be Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Their teamwork had begun in the spark of their long gone ada and it had only improved with age. They would have to be stopped at all cost and none of their feints should be allowed to pass.
It would be a long wait until show time.
-0-At the trines' domicile
They came from the berthroom, two breathtaking individuals of such an eerie similarity that the twinship was evident even to the casual viewer. They stood together grinning down at their daughters who had stopped playing to turn and look at them. Gathering themselves, they stood and walked to their genitors holding up their arms. They were collected, suitably kissed and gently placed down again. They toddled over and sat stacking tiny blocks just for them that Sunstreaker had found in a catalog.
"You look great," Ironhide said.
"THEY DO! THEY'RE GOING TO WIN, ATAR!"Sunspot said with excitement.
Sunstreaker grinned and nodded. "Slag right we will."
They sassed for a few moments, hugged everyone, then turned to walk to the arena. Their team would gather in their locker room to wait, discuss strategy together and pass the time.
It would be a long wait until show time.
-0-In the Bosom of Love
Ratchet sat watching The Hourly News. The infants played on the floor. A rap on the door and a sweet face appeared. "Hi, Ada. Come in and rest your dogs."
Ravel paused to access 'dogs', then grinned walking to sit next to Ratchet. "I don't have dogs, Ratchet. They can't live here."
Ratchet grinned. "You don't have a slang file do you."
"I don't think so," Ravel said patting Ratchet's servo. "The picture album is so wonderful, son. Its so lovely to see you over the empty vorns we were apart. Thank you so much for that."
"You're welcome," Ratchet said squeezing Ravel's servo. "Where is Atar?"
"He's still reading his book," Ravel said with a grin. "He is engrossed in the history of this place."
"We all are. Did you know that the new city module, Terra is about to be opened to businesses? They have a school tower there that is now going to house all the sparklings. We're going to have to go three miles west of the city on the new highway to take the sparklings to school. That doesn't count the fact that there are 50,000 new apartments finished and twice that many more in construction," Ratchet said nodding. "That's a good thing because Flint says a huge migration is coming."
"Oh my," Ravel said nodding. He looked at Ratchet worriedly. "How are we going to get the babies to school, Ratchet?"
"We are going to discuss that at our next meeting. There's a plan for non-sentient buses to run a route from the park in Metroplex taking them out and bringing them back after school. I also have a medical facility out there that is going to be online because this puts us closer to the industrial parks. That will take me out there."
"Sounds exciting," Ravel said. The door opened and Tie Down peeked inside. He grinned. "Good morning, my best mechs."
"Good morning, Atar. Get in here and rest your dogs," Ratchet said with a smirk.
He walked in and sat, that preoccupied expression mechs had when searching for a clue on his face. "What are Terran canines having to do with sitting, Ratchet?"
"I am getting you both a slang dictionary for New Years," Ratchet said with a laugh.
-0-Up in the clouds
The mechs played with their toys carefully keeping their areas neat since they were that direction on the awesome scale. Miler sat working on a wiring project for a class he was taking at a tech school that was showing how to preserve a decorative art from Praxus. Venture was playing a Cybertronian version of chess with Optimus at the table as they bantered about this and that.
It was pleasant.
Miracle who was standing in the doorway of the corridor that led to berthrooms and other spaces smiled at everyone. No one noticed. He looked at them, then turned and walked back to his genitor's berthroom. He walked into the gigantic space and over to the windows where he stared out at the view. He patted the glass with his servos, then walked down the wall until he came to a part that pushed out a bit. He looked up unaware that it was a door. Then he pushed as hard as he could and it opened.
It was designed to open gently so the little bot walked out pausing to look up at the bluish-orangish sky above him. It was beautiful if not vertigo inducing so he moved forward walking boldly until he walked into a transparent wall falling onto his back. Sitting up slowly, rubbing his nose structure, he crept forward warily with his little arms and servos out. They touched nothing; or rather, they touched the transparent wall preventing him from going further. He stared at it, then patted it, turning to walk along the terrace.
Spirit snapped a piece onto his Lego building, then glanced up at the sight of a movement nearby. Pausing, freezing, he looked at Miracle who was trying to climb over the barrier that prevented him from falling fifty stories to the hard ground below. "MIRACLE!"
Everyone in the room froze, glanced at Spirit, then looked in the direction of his gaze. The image of Optimus rising up, the table spilling contents and Venture on the ground would stay with Prowl forever. The huge bot had jumped upward vaulting over the younglings on the floor, his ada dropping two orns worth of stitches as he levitated up himself.
Optimus reached the window and crashed through, his massive strength breaking an almost unbreakable fixture as he slipped out through the rain of pieces, grabbing his son as Miracle finally over-tipped and began to fall forward.
They both went over the railing.
All time slowed as the mechs inside rushed to the broken window, agonized screaming seemingly groans that dragged on forever. Prowl reached the edge of the terrace gripping the railing to look downward. Optimus was there with a terrified Miracle clinging to him. He had the veranda railing of the apartment below them gripped tightly as he swung back and forth.
Prowl turned and pivoted jumping over infants as he ran to the door. He wrenched it off its hinges and ran for the elevator. Down he went.
Venture looked over the edge with Miler, his voice sucked away in his terror. "Optimus! How can we help you?" he croaked.
"Prowl needs to come to this apartment and take him," Optimus called upward. Miracle was trying to climb into Optimus's armor as he cried his terror. As he did, Prowl appeared through the door to this verandah and reached. Optimus held up Miracle, who Prowl handed off to the startled older mech couple that lived below them with two younglings of their own.
Then Prowl reached down grabbing Prime's servo as he braced himself. He held the bigger heavier mech in his grasp straining to compensate for the greater dead weight. His father materialized at his side and the two gripped hard as Optimus began to swing his body. When he did, he caught the railing with his ped and clambered over. They all stared at each other in disbelief, then turned to the terrified mechs who lived there. "Thank you. I'm sorry. Miracle almost fell off the terrace."
They looked horrified and nodded. "I'm so sorry. I'm happy this is alright," one said. He paused, then leaned forward toward Prime. "This is alright?"
Optimus nodded willing himself to relax. "It is."
They turned walking into the apartment, then Prime paused glancing at the two mechs. "We will get your door replaced." They nodded, then the group exited.
The two stared at each other, then walked to the terrace and looked down. It was a horrifying sight to see how far up into the sky they actually were.
-0-Back at the home ranch
The little mechs stood crying quietly as they waited for someone to come home. They had seen their father and baby brother fall over the side and their ada run through a door to find them. When Venture came through the broken door of their apartment, Miler following, they gathered the babies together. "You were fine boys to be aware of Miracle. He's so small."
Prowl came in with the terrified baby, his little weeps plaintive and forlorn. Optimus followed and they stood quivering through their terror. Then they all looked at Spirit. Prime knelt pulling his son into his arms. "You did good, Spirit. You did very good."
It would be a moment before anyone felt up to anything let alone the football game that would start in less than a joor.
=0=TBC
2012 (12)
By the way, my spell checker reads 'twinnies' as twinkles. :D :D :D