The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 37 edited for boo-boos :D
-0-Conference room, Ops Center, Senior Autobot/Community Leader Meeting
They sat 'listening' to the Patent Office Director Caro explain a number of important things in his winning way to a room full of soldiers, scientists and professional individuals who admired process and presentation, if not content.
Yawn.
Prime had perfected the image of a wholly attentive and thoughtful patriarch presiding over a dinner table lined with madcap colleagues who brought their own special magic to every occasion. First, there was the right servo wall lined with comfy chairs that were filled with familiar mechs and the odd femme who were like family and that indispensable. They were as indispensable and loved as those that lined the left servo wall, the wall by the door and the table that filled the room with a certain air of professionalism by itself. It looked formidable and attentive.
On the surface anyway.
Below the still waters of the room there were other layers of meaning that could only be digested by those with the proper comm frequency or a good CB radio set up. Prime was considering the thing that he and Ironhide had agreed to do as a surprise the upcoming weekend if things permitted. That things were still unfolding meant that no one would know until the last moment but that was okay. They had a storage locker in the armory.
Ironhide sat with Ratchet, Blackjack and Alor on either side of them. They were all chatting together Prime was sure because they had the look on their faces that indicated it: a barely concealed look of hilarity.
He wanted to join them.
But he didn't.
Not yet anyway.
He was the Prime.
It sucked to be Prime sometimes.
He didn't dare look at Prowl. That handsome bot was actually listening to Caro with interest. So was Venture. Miler looked like it but it was probably a facade too. He was a mathematician but was also fun. That the two could go together surprised Prime still.
His physics class had nearly killed him.
/... Prowl, you are so handsome. Sooo so handsome. Where was I? Oh yeah, math …/
Prime grinned slightly. Faintly.
Ratchet saw it. He grinned too.
:Optimus:
:What?:
:What's so funny?:
:Nothing: Prime sat up straighter and looked with interest at Caro.
:Really:
:Yes: Prime replied.
:Optimus:
:Jazz?:
:What's goin' on?:
:Ask Ratchet:
Jazz and Mirage who was listening in turned to look at Ratchet. As he did, Elita, Jetta, Mack, Arcee, Drift, Springer, Nitro, Starscream, Silverclaw because he was told to, Revo, Heva, Neo, Laret, Herling, and Nova because they were encouraged to, Scar, Bulkhead, Blackjack, Alor, Venture and Miler because they were hoping hard for a distraction, Wheeljack but not Perceptor because Percy was pure and had no clue, Bumblebee, Leader-1, First Air … everyone in the room but Magnus because he was Magnus and Prowl because someone had to hold up civilization even if he had to do it alone turned to look at Ratchet.
Of course, Payload and Caro were doing their best to carry on oblivious once more to the subtext.
Payload fixed on the dulcet tones of his Only One, listening to short sales and commodities traded or no.
Like that.
Such was love. Right, Payload?
Ratchet blinked at the attention. :Why I do declare, I think I will swoon:
Ironhide glanced at Ratchet sharply. :Are you? What the frag, old mech:
Ratchet looked at Ironhide, then held his datapad in front of his face. :Relax, Ironhide. Its just an expression:
:Oh: Ironhide said looking relieved.
:Why?: -everyone at the table not Caro, Payload, Prowl and Magnus
Ratchet snorted, then coughed as a cover as he smiled weakly at Caro who paused.
"I'll get you a drink, Ratchet," Caro said sweetly and walked to the wall center to get a glass of light grade oil -the local equivalent of a 'glass of water' and handed it to Ratchet.
"Thank you, Caro. You are such a good mech," Ratchet said sipping the light sweet crude.
Caro smiled, Payload nearly swooned himself and the presentation continued.
:Will someone tell me what's going on?:
Everyone glanced at Starscream. He grinned. Openly. :I don't remember much but I don't think that staff meetings with Meat Head ever were this much fun:
:Meat Head?: -everyone minus the usual suspects, although Arcee was recording everything as an after fragging wind down amusement.
:'All in the Family'. That show. Archie Bunker? The stupid useless son-in-law?:
:Ah. Nice match: -everyone but the usual et al
:We want to know what Ironhide is hiding: -everyone
Starscream looked at Ironhide and arched a brow. Ironhide looked at Ratchet who tried to arch a brow and nearly lost an optic ridge in the process. Ironhide stifled a guffaw and sat back looking immensely virile. :Ratchet is sparked:
Coughs and such erupted around the table pausing the presentation and levitating half the room. All optics turned to Ratchet who looked at everyone with a DON'T SAY A WORD AND HURT CARO'S FEELINGS! look. Everyone oddly enough got it and settled immediately.
"Is there anything wrong?" Caro asked with concern.
Prime looked at him with reassurance. "Nothing is wrong, Caro. We just had a shock."
Looking around, Caro glanced back to Optimus. "Do we need to call an electrician?"
"No," Springer said with a chuckle. "I think that outlet got plugged good."
Ratchet looked at him with a enormous smirk as everyone worked overtime to reroute the guffaws in their processors to files somewhere else. There wasn't a bot in the room minus the usual suspects that wasn't laughing out their afts at that very moment.
Caro nodded uncertainly, then turned back to the world of facts, figures and serving his Prime and colony with all his spark.
Sane stuff.
Starscream looked at Ratchet and shook his helm. :Sky Warp was supposed to go see you this week. He didn't did he:
:No: Ratchet replied. :Why?:
:I believe he's sparked too:
The chatter on the internal chat was white noise a moment, then it settled down. Prime who was grinning on the inside looked around the room. :Anyone else want to announce something?:
Springer grinned. :Drift is sparked:
Drift looked at Springer like he had lost his processor. :I'm not:
:I just wanted to say that. It has a nice ring. DRIFT is sparked. DRIFT:
:Slagger: Drift said with a grin.
:What's up?:
Everyone paused and looked at Prowl who had just noticed the hoo-haw and joined in. Venture looked at Miler and grinned. Looking at his son, he made a solemn expression. :Ironhide just told us Ratchet is sparked:
"WHAT?!"
Caro nearly dropped his stylus as he turned to face Prowl, who himself was halfway out of his seat. "Prowl? Is there something …?"
Prowl glanced from Ratchet to Prime to Caro, then sat. "I was hoping … I was thinking I would like to hear that last part. It was exciting. Somehow."
Caro grinned. "I think that futures are exciting too. Especially in the commodities markets right now. I will repeat that last part."
He did.
Prowl pretended to listen.
Everyone watched Prowl with a grin.
Except Optimus.
He looked slightly worried.
Prowl fixed his datapad with a stare while he proceeded to organize his thoughts inside.
:WHAT THE FRAG DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE SPARKED! HOW CAN YOU BE SPARKED! LOSER!:
Ratchet grinned, then hid behind his own datapad. :When two bots really love each other-:
The mountain slide of commentary and laughter that filled the space between everyone's audials took up a moment or two. By then, Caro was finished. He turned and looked at all the smiling faces sitting in the room and did the Cybertronian version of a blush. Everyone was smiling. He had done good. He glanced at Payload who would have orgasmed if he had less control as he watched the love of his life get the approval of the room.
Life couldn't get much better.
Unless you were tuned into the subtext.
:Loser:
:Whiner:
:Red aft:
:Priss:
:You have big peds, Ratchet:
:You have …: Ratchet paused. There was nothing about Prowl that wasn't balanced, beautiful, even perfect.
Prowl smirked, a feral light in his optics. :Well?:
:Boo-hoo. Let's get drunk tonight:
:You're on:
Prime looked at the two squared off over the table and grinned. "Is there anything for the good of the order?" he asked sweetly.
=0=TBC For Pip
2013 (2)