The Diego Diaries: "Onward into the breach, dear ones." 287 (PS Hero's first day of school is in The Chronicles of Orion, 15) :D edited for boo boos
-0-Later that night
She sat on his lap so enfolded in a cocoon of warm loving energy that she could barely keep her optics focused. She was exhausted. It was the worst orn of her tiny life. Her hero had left her with the Enemy and she had spent all orn trying to find him again. He and her ada had finally shown up and she had fallen into the Pit.
She had clung to his face pressing her tiny cheek against him as hard as she could. Then he stowed her in her favorite place, the crook of his brawny arm. It was warm there, her hero rerouting heat to her spot as she snuggled in as tightly as she could. They had both then talked to the enemy, the femme and mech who had taken care of her all orn long.
"She will get better, Ironhide," Roto had said gently. "It would help if you could leave her with good energy before you go. If a genitor approves of this place, so will the infant. The transition is faster and smoother."
Ironhide looked at him as if he were the enemy but he wasn't. He respected Roto with his life and the future of his children. He loved the easygoing mech too, this bond of his son's teacher. Neo was without a doubt one of his closest friends, a great and decent spark. But they asked for a lot. He nodded anyway.
Ratchet grinned peering into the crook of Ironhide's arm. "If little femme gets any closer to you, your arm is going to acquire a few new nuts and bolts." Tiny little blue optics peered anxiously out of the depth of Ironhide's arm as Hero tried to blend in. Ratchet looked at both of them. "Thank you for tolerating our neurosis regarding the house shorties." He looked at Orion and Praxus who sat on his arm and they both burst into gigantic smiles, optics twinkling brightly.
They all laughed but Ironhide who was still assimilating the new reality. They made their goodbyes and as Ironhide turned, Ratchet paused a moment. "Thanks. He'll get better. This is always a terrible thing. I have home school key words blocked on the house computers."
They snickered and watched as Ratchet turned to catch up, the entire group heading down as the elevator door closed.
"I really like them," Roto said glancing at Neo.
She grinned and nodded. "Never a dull moment with any of them. Hero is just the latest in a long line of fun."
Roto nodded as both of them turned to walk back to the business of education.
-0-At the house
Ravel paused before Ironhide and Hero, the anxious appearing little femme looking up at his grand ada. She raised her arms and Ravel took her. Ravel hugged her and turned picking up a blanket from the bag on the floor nearby. Walking to the rocker by the window, he sat and covered her, rocking gently as he hummed. "You remind me of Ratchet when he was tiny, my little Hero. He would fuss when he had to leave us too. You are much too loved for your own good. Your poor atar is so sad to leave you." He looked at Ironhide. "How do you feel, son?"
Ironhide looked at Ravel, among the sweetest gentlest bots he knew. "Only a little bit better. I'm dreading tomorrow, Ravie."
"Well then, son, let me take her to school until she gets used to it. I don't like her suffering either but it's short term. She will find friends and learn great things. In the end, she will feel better. This way you don't have to watch her cry."
Ironhide looked at Ravel and vented a sigh. "I would be a big coward if I did that, Ravie."
"No, you are an atar, a very great and dedicated atar. I will help you through this, Ironhide. I will come here tomorrow and help you," Ravel said leaning down to kiss his granddaughter's little forehelm. She was quietly watching her grand ada, a mech with very warm loving energy. It was always a good thing to be held by her grandgenitors she was coming to believe. The sun was warm and she fell into a calm recharge.
"I see you still have it," Ratchet said as he turned to put dishes on the table for the potluck to celebrate Hero's first orn of school. School being such a hard won, rare commodity on Cybertron, one took the acquisition of it very seriously and there were celebrations in families for every milestone accomplished. Hero's first orn would be the first formally celebrated in the old fashioned manner of all the infants. Having grandgenitors around was good for traditions.
The door opened as Blackjack, Alor and Flint walked in heavily ladened with traditional dishes for the celebration. They put them on the table and counter, picking up dancing sparklings who stood below with their arms up. Spot who was laying in the sunshine next to Ravel, Sunspot's lap a pillow for his helm looked at them with a big tongue lolling grin. Sunspot smiled brilliantly too.
The door opened again as Sideswipe and Bluestreak entered, infants akimbo and a big awesome dog, Dawg thundering in behind them in his own awesome manner. Spot looked at him with excitement, then relaxed glancing up at Sunspot. Sunny was petting him gently, his face and energy showing great contentment. Spot quelled his urge to bound over and land on Dawg in favor of his buddy. He, Spot was excelling at his own mission in life too.
"Hi," Sideswipe said putting high grade in the fridge. "How is Hero? How did her orn go?"
"She cried all orn long," Ratchet said as everyone paused to listen. "She tried to run away, she slept like she was wrestling targs and she was a wreck."
Tie Down nodded. "Poor baby. Ravel and I will take her to school tomorrow," he said sympathetically glancing at Ironhide. "We can help here until she understands what's happening. I think we can even sit with her to help her get used to things. We don't need to open the store as early as we do."
"HOLD ON!" Ratchet said turning to his atar with amazement. "Did I just hear you right? You have put something for yourselves over the store? I think I need to call the Daily News." He grinned and leaned down kissing his atar on the helm. "Not only would that be this side of awesome, it shows me that having your own business for your own selves is helping moderate your work ethic for the better."
"We will stay a bit later to meet the demand, Ratchet. We will always put the family first but our customers depend upon us to make their orders in a timely manner," Ravel said.
"So it's an orn later than usual," Ratchet said glaring at his little ada, his servos on his hips. "You have earned the right to choose what and when you will do things. You can choose, Ada. Your stuff sells itself and your customers are around the block. They don't mind waiting an orn or two longer, trust me."
Ravel looked at Ratchet and vented a soft sigh. "I know. I'm still trying to believe it." He looked at Hero who was sleeping peacefully. "But for the family … for her, I will do whatever you need."
They all had an 'aw' moment then turned to look at Sideswipe and Bluestreak. "How is Sunny taking the news of the prison murder?" Ratchet asked. "By the way, that is strictly 'top secret over secret' for now."
Sideswipe nodded. Bluestreak nodded too. "We know. He's relieved for someone who won't have to testify. We're all relieved," he said glancing toward Sunspot who was oblivious so happy was he that Spot and Dawg LOVED each other. "I don't like random violence but this time I'm better with it."
Ratchet nodded as he turned to pull plates out of the cupboard over the sink. "I hear you. Eat." Ratchet grinned as he also pulled out utinsels and cups.
The family gathered around getting their dinner and drinks as Ratchet set the infants on the floor near the window with their sippie cups. The rest of their meal would come when there were adults ready to supervise. For now, drinks first.
The sun streamed in and its warmth was welcome as the family unwound and celebrated a transition for the littlest Autobot among them. The dogs lay together in a contented pile, Spot's helm parked on Dawg's butt. On the monitor overhead, Sunstreaker kibbitzed with the gathering joining in long distance from the moon of Pluto. It was all good.
-0-At the station on Luna, the satellite of Earth
They stepped off the shuttle and turned watching as the hatch closed and the vessel rose up to leave. The pilot waved and they waved back. It disappeared toward Earth heading for Diego Garcia and five orns of downtime before it would return to pick them up from their newly allowed once every two decaorns short visit. They stood a moment enjoying the view, they turned heavily ladened to walk to the hatch of the installation.
When they reached it, the hatch slid back and a joyously happy youngling mech helped his genitors carry in the things that they had been cleared to bring. Entering the spacious installation, they piled numerous huge bags on the dining room table, then took turns hugging their deliriously happy son tightly in their arms.
"I am so glad you came. You should see the stuff I'm doing," Burnoff said as he gestured around the big space. There were a number of tables with things on them, scientific appearing things and books. Writings were pinned to the wall, writings on giant datapads designed to serve in the manner of chalkboards. Writings they couldn't descipher were there along with pictures of the things from which the writing was translated. Nearby, other experimental items showed a mech who was fascinated, focused and motivated.
They were thrilled.
"You must tell us all about this, son," Turquoise said fairly shaking in joy at the opportunity to spend time with his son. Copperton himself agog with the enormity of his own pleasure nodded. "We brought you all the things you wanted. The Probation Office is so happy with your progress, son that they allowed even more than you asked for. We had talked to Perceptor and he suggested a number of things which we brought."
Burnoff looked at the bulging bags and felt a lightness of spark he hadn't felt since the last visit. He looked at them and smiled. "Thank you," he said with gathering emotion.
Copperton looked at him with his own emotion and pulled the three of them together. They stood silently hugging tightly, then Turquoise stepped back. "We brought you dinner, all the things you love. We also want to tell you that Blackstone is going to petition for you to have your sentence commuted to probation to be served under supervision on Mars."
He looked at his ada and smiled. "I won't try and think about it, Ada, until there is something to show it might happen. But I want you to know that I want an office space with a lab extension to work in if and when I get back. I will work hard. I found so many things to do I can hardly keep up and if I can come home again I will continue. My own building space will be a good thing so I don't overrun the apartment."
They looked at him, their wayward son and saw vitality, health, joy and service in his manner. They were overcome and stepped forward into a hug again. "We will help you, son. I think the Cultural Center would be perfect don't you, Copperton?" Turquoise asked looking up at him.
Copperton nodded glancing proudly at his son. "We will help you. If there is anything we know how to do to assist you, you only have to ask."
Burnoff nodded, a slight grin on his face. "You have done it all."
They stared at each other a moment, then Turquoise looked at his work. "What is this, son? I am so impressed. It looks so complex."
Burnoff then turned to explain his work to his genitors. It was a cross section of his interests which had begun to emerge in isolation. Once the despair phase had lifted, he had found in the books and databases of Cybertron gathered on Mars and in the great data mines of Earth what pleased him to study. That it would prove useful to their colony was also a good thing.
He walked to a table and pointed at a big datapad that held strange square clay tablets with ciphers pressed into them before they were baked. "These are two systems of writing from Earth that are at least 6000 years old and were until now indesciphered. This is Cretan Linear A and this is Cretan Hieroglyphic used in Minoan society. They have not been translated until now. I have scoured the internet for examples to test my translations and they hold up so far. Such interesting things they tell about humans," he said with a slightly absent tone. Then he looked at them. "I did it and I want to have sciences send the analysis and dictionary translators as well to human experts on Earth for verification. I want then to publish them for the world. They should know their own history."
He moved on to explain a number of theoretical projects he was working on some of which actually utilized his engineering degree earned while incarcerated here. It would be a wonderful few joors with their son before they would take their leave. When they returned, they would see Blackstone, Jarro and the Economic Development office on his behalf. It would be the highlight of their decaron.
-0-At an apartment in a tower in Terra
They made their goodbyes, the core group of the Iacon Order. They had drawn up the rules, activities and mission statement of their fledgling association for presentation to the Prime. It was innocuous enough to pass muster they believed and would be the platform for the organization and implementation of their ultimate goal, a colony and opportunity of their own to reinstitute their lifestyle once more.
Fenix shut the door and turned to Tril who was cleaning up the apartment. "That was very useful. I will send the package to Prime's office tomorrow. If he has caveats, he can note them. The sooner we have an official framework, the sooner we can collect like minds to our cause."
Tril nodded. "I know. The sooner, the better."
"There is merit to the notion that we get gainful employment in relationship to criticism. How is your search going?" he asked helping his bond to clean up.
"I have an interview at IntraComm tomorrow," Tril said. He paused. "It's for a menial tech job. Nothing involving policy or planning."
"Don't worry about it. Just maintain. I'm going to see Blackstone tomorrow about working in the Public Defenders office. It will be a good window into what's actually going on legally and criminally around here. I am also going to see Ultra Magnus about working in the city administration, another window."
"Blackstone might let you in. I don't know how plugged in he is to Prime but Ultra Magnus is practically his brother," Tril said moving to wash dishes, a menial task he always actually enjoyed. Fenix dried them and they could talk together.
"We'll see. There is also a position coming up on the Labor Council and in Patents," Fenix said. "I am a lawyer whatever that may mean to anyone. I do know the law."
Tril nodded. "You are a very good lawyer, Fen. They will be glad to get you."
-0-In another place
"I have to fill a position in the office tomorrow. Venture and Magnus are going to let me make the decision since he will be exclusive to our office," Caro said looking at the datapad filled with very qualified able candidates. Payload looked over his shoulder as he held the servo of their son, Mars as he walked back and forth in front of them getting slightly in the way as he babbled and laughed. They both grinned at him, then turned back to the search.
"Anyone that stands out?" Payload asked.
"I have reviewed the skill sets of everyone in the office so far and I think we're a little weak in the legal department. I am thinking this mech would fill that gap and help with the law that we encounter with our business. It would relieve the legal department in the city administration's office and allow me to get timely decisions much more quickly. He can also liaison with Warren Roberts and take the meetings on Earth without me having to go. Good for the family."
Payload nodded. "Will it mean you won't have as much overtime as you have now?"
Caro grinned back. "Yep."
"Then he's our mech. Who is he?"
Caro looked at the datapad in his servo. "His name is Fenix..."
-0-TBC
04-29-13