The Diego Diaries: Down Time 5 (267) edited for boo boos
-0-At the house
They sat in the living room occupying all the corners. Tie Down and Ironhide had left to take Sunspot to the park with Spot. They were going to be showing the big dog to school and mental health individuals who were going to be deciding if he was safe enough to be a service dog in a classroom.
"What do you think is going to happen with Sunny's dog, Ratchet?" Ravel asked as he put Hero on the floor, her thin little legs barely bearing her weight as she wobbled in her grandada's grip.
"I would hope they will allow him there and have a way to keep him from being a distraction. He would be there to work and not play. That has to be explained." Ratchet pulsed warmth to the little sparkling in his hold.
"What about the naming, Ratchet?" Flint asked as he bounced Praxus on his knee assembly. The infant laughed uproariously. "What do you want us to do?"
"Show up," Ratchet said with a grin.
"I will too. I will be there with bells on," Prowl said smirking at Ratchet as he sat on a chair across from him. Prime smirked himself having been filled in on the 'benefits' of having a Praxian infant named after you. Given that Orion bore his name, Optimus had asked Prowl why he hadn't clued him in when the infant was separated. Prowl had thought a moment, then shrugged. "I forgot."
Prowl had a flaw. Prowl had a flah-ah.
Prime smirked again. Ratchet on the other servo looked at Prowl with a smug expression. "Whiner. See if I do another good deed for you again."
The banter continued as the afternoon passed along. Prime and Prowl finally took their leave along with Venture and Miler. The twins and Bluestreak left long enough to fetch sparklings and returned for a long afternoon of slag and pizza.
-0-At the park earlier
They sat on a bench waiting, Spot sitting next to Sunspot watching everyone who passed on the streets, sidewalks and the paths that meandered through Metroplex's park. Spot was on patrol even if he didn't move, protecting his boy and his family. He did so with fox-like concentration and stealthiness.
"What if they say no, Atar?" Sunspot asked anxiously.
"We will always have our dog. Whether the school says yes or no, he stays," Ironhide said. (Pet, pet, pet) "This is one stellar dog."
"He is. I LOVE HIM!" Sunspot said. (pet, pet, pat) "He's beautiful and smart."
"He is," Ironhide said agreeably.
"They will love him, Sunspot, because you do," Tie Down offered his grandson. Sunspot hugged him in return.
Coming into view from the Metroplex District where his office was, Jarro walked with a couple of colleagues. In the other direction, Nova and Neo walked together after coming out of a subway station. Behind them, leaving the Youngling School Tower behind, Herling, Terradive and Roto who was there doing examinations of new students walked along the sidewalk.
"We're surrounded," Ironhide said with a grin.
"That's okay. Spot will take care of us," Sunspot said. (Pet, pet, pet) "They will love you too," he said quietly.
Spot looked at him with a gentle gaze and a lolling tongue.
They converged all at the same time pausing long enough to make introductions. Then Jarro looked at Spot who looked at him with a calm gaze. "This is your dog. What a fine dog it is, Sunspot."
"THIS IS MY DOG! MY GENITORS GOT HIM FOR ME! THEY GOT SPOT FOR ME!" Sunspot said with almost too much happiness. He stood up and so did Spot. "LOOK AT WHAT HE CAN DO!" With that, Sunspot began to show them.
Balls were thrown and retrieved. A dog showed how he could sit, stand, lay down and stay. A little Seeker showed how he could love a dog with all his spark. They were simpatico, the little mech and the fox/dog walking, running, jumping and cooperating through the three 'tricks' that 'Spot knows because he's so smart, Mr. Terradive."
Ironhide sat and watched as Sunspot showed them his love for this dog, his need for him and his undying admiration for the dog his genitors got for him 'because they love me and I asked them. They can do anything, Mr. Roto!' When he was finished demonstrating, he turned and looked up at them with a hopeful expression on his little face. Ironhide felt his insides squeeze. Tie Down sat on the bench with a sad tense expression, his optics focused between Herling and his grandson. He was no stranger to infants being disappointed by life and its rules.
Spot on the other servo just sat and looked at his boy, confused by his tense energy and anxiety. With that in mind, he leaned in and licked Sunspot's face. Sunny turned and hugged him tightly.
"What a lovely animal," Neo said glancing at Ironhide and Tie Down. "He seems so well mannered and gentle. He's good for Sunspot."
"I think so," Ironhide said. "He doesn't need his night light now."
They all nodded. Jarro considered the infant, then looked at Ironhide. "He wants the dog in school with him as a service dog. We have a vulnerable population. Half of Terri's class are our patients. What would this mean, Terri if a dog came to class every orn?"
Terradive thought a moment, then glanced at Roto, his bond. "What do you think, Ro? If the ground rules are made and carried out, if everyone understands he's a service dog and not a pet coming to play, then we should be alright."
Roto considered that. "If they are laid out and clearly understood with everyone following them, then I would agree. It would be up to you, Terri. What do you think? What would they be?"
"Well, I would think the novelty factor would be important for a few orns but then it should die down. We could say that this is an important new part of our culture and life back on Cybertron who is here to help Sunspot through his orn. He should be seen first as a helper, then a playmate. He can lie on the floor next to Sunny and maybe be a calming influence on a couple of my high needs. As long as it isn't viewed as playtime when he's there, this could actually help a lot of infants. Some might relate their problems to him when they don't to us."
"We see that when we use puppets in therapy," Jarro said as his colleagues nodded. "They will talk to the puppet and tell them things they won't or can't tell us directly. If there are rules and they are enforced I see this as a positive. You may be seeing more of these animals around because I have been given a request to evaluate them in the city."
Herling looked at Ironhide and nodded. "Let us have a moment, Ironhide," he said as he moved to one side, the others following.
Sunspot stood next to his dog and watched them step aside. He looked at Ironhide with concern. Walking to the two, he leaned on his grandpa and looked up at his father. "What will happen now?"
"They will decide what to do. They have a lot of little kids to take care of. You are just one of them. If they think it will be okay, you will take him with you," Ironhide said gently.
"And if he doesn't get to come?" Sunspot asked with alarm and fear.
"He can come with me," Ironhide said. "When I come at your recess time when I'm not on duty, he can come then."
Sunspot looked at them for a moment, a long silent moment, then he laid his helm on Ironhide's leg. "I want him to come. He will miss me, Atar."
"I know. Let's see what happens, Sunny," Ironhide said as he rubbed the tiny mech's smooth yellow wings.
They talked together for what seemed an eternity, then the group turned and walked back to the two tense adults and one forlorn youngling who waited.
"We think it will be fine with rules that are enforced. Mr. Terradive will be the one with the hard job. You must help him, Sunspot, to make this a good thing because we all agree that it will be," Herling said with a smile. He looked at Ironhide. "We will have this on the next Genitor-Teacher Committee meeting, Ironhide. We have to have guidelines because I think this is going to be a problem if we don't resolve a few things for everyone who might use a dog for their infants."
Ironhide nodded and rose extending his servo. Tie and Ironhide shook servos with everyone thanking them as Sunspot stood looking at everyone. "Atar? What did they decide?"
"You can with rules," Ironhide replied.
Sunspot's smile was incredible.
-0-Back at the ranch
Ratchet walked out of the berth room with a bundle all wrapped up. He stowed it in his carry hold with a deft touch. Alor who was getting things ready for a dinner buffet glanced at him and smirked. "You are a bad aft. You and Ironhide deserve each other but we don't. We have a new grand sparkling and you won't let us see him."
"I would but you might slip and let the cat out of the bag," Ratchet said sitting down, the refreshed infant safely in his carry hold.
"You didn't ruin two families, Ratchet, when you and Ironhide bonded," Alor said as he laid out food of many types, none of which would be out of place at a barbecue on Earth.
Until you took a bite.
Ratchet grinned and tuned into the infant who was fed and recharging. "This infant is one for the history books."
"Hush," Ravel said turning to put plates on the table. "If you won't show us, don't tease." Ravel looked at him with a disapproving stare. "You should show us this sparkling and leave Ironhide out of it. Right now, you are punishing all of us while pranking him. Really, Ratchet. You never cease to amaze me."
Ratchet smiled at his ada's gentle reproach. "We have two orns. Then the naming will take place and you can take him home with you if you want."
"What makes you think Ravie and I won't?" Alor asked.
The trine sat on their couch together watching the exchange like players at a tennis match, big grins on their faces. It would continue until everyone went home.
-0-Moments later
"ADA! GUESS WHAT!? SPOT CAN COME WITH ME TO SCHOOL!"
Ironhide and Tie Down walked in behind followed by Flint carrying dishes Alor had made at their apartment. The door closed, exclamations were made in honor of Spot and the sparklings were given sippy cups. They sat on the floor by the window, six little waifs tipping their cup for a swig, chattering together between.
Ravel paused and looked at them. "What fine infants. I can't believe that they belong to me too."
"They will need a lot of wisdom," Ratchet said amiably. "You do know who their genitors are."
"Speak for yourself," Sunstreaker said as he relaxed on the couch, his arm around Bluestreak. Sideswipe walked back and sat after helping with the infants. "Those sparklings will be top notch because of who their genitors are."
Snorting and hoo-haw greeted that as they began to get dinner. Sitting around the apartment, they ate their meal, chatted and chattered, enjoying themselves completely. All of the time they did, Spot would lay beside Sunspot, share his scraps and lick his arm.
It was a great ending of a long, long orn.
-0-That night
The beautiful mech walked from the grocery store to the underground station that would take him back from Metroplex District to his neighborhood in Terra. He lived on the East Side, a collection of towers that faced Autobot City. His tower was a bachelor enclave, suitable given his own bachelor status. He had beer, a selection of food collected into a box called 'A Gourmet's Collection'.
Since he was one, it seemed like the thing to do to eat like one again. The food he had found was as stellar as the amenities. He was happy to be here and have some small part of the life he had left behind in a terrifying run for the hills. He reached his station, walked out with numerous optics following him and made his way to his apartment.
He set his things down and walked to the computer which was doing a search through the database for several things he wanted and needed to know. The data was waiting so he opened it and braced himself.
Beray.
No find. Not in system.
He quashed his pain for a moment. Then he continued. His name nor any of his aliases were in the system. 'No find. Not in system'. That was a relief. Continuing, he found several who were and it was worrisome.
Kudon. Deceased. Murdered.
Templar, Eronus, Vraz, Neo, Gravitas. In residence.
Frag...
He turned and walked to the counter to make a meal and open a beer. Sitting at the table, the remote for the computer in his servo, he continued to read the data. Names that he had programmed into the search came up empty one after the other. Then they didn't.
He was searching in the refugee name database in which nearly everyone who had landed here could be found. It was a feature in the Community Bulletin Board that he had looked at the night before. It was a good thing. Names were coming up.
Sentinel Prime.
A number of industrialists including one who might remember him, Burris. That one had wanted to have a piece of his time and other related parts but he had never allowed it. Burris was too ignorant and grasping. He was the type of mech he had tried his whole life to leave behind. Now he was here.
He would cause trouble too. Burris had been one of the most wealthy individuals on Cybertron and was ruthless in his dealings with those most responsible for his success, his workers. He had confused his bankroll with his worth, transposing cash for class and it had been a difficult thing staying away from him. His lovers and benefactors had been powerful and protected him. In fact, no one in the colony as far as he could determine knew who he was.
He was glad of it.
A name hit along with three others. He read them, then paused his beer halfway to his mouth. Putting it down, he rose and looked at it, studying the possibilities that it could actually really be him.
The most hated and disturbing person in the entirety of his life was here.
He would sit and do what he did best, work out a plan of action and carry it out patiently, painstakingly. It was what Jade did best. The most expensive and exclusive pleasure bot ever to live on Cybertron planned his revenge.
-0-TBC
2013 (4)